When the World Falls Apart
by Book 'em Again
Summary: A widow after one night of marriage, Alia's life is a mess until a chance meeting with a beastly stranger changes everything. But when they become embroiled in a murder investigation, Alia must decide if she is willing to trust Five-O and the family she ran away from.
1. Prologue

_Author's Note: This story is an epilogue to the episode "Engaged to Be Buried" and assumes that the reader is familiar with this episode._

_I grew up during the Disney renaissance so, needless to say, I have a soft spot in my heart for fairy tales. I have also enjoyed the works of professional writers such as Mercedes Lackey, Jim Hines and the creators of _"Once Upon a Time"_ who have chosen to retell these familiar tales with their own twists to create original stories. After deciding that this would be a good challenge for me, I have chosen to reimagine the story of _Beauty and the Beast_ set in the Five-O universe. While credit belongs to __Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve__ and Disney, please know that I do not follow either version of the fairy tale exactly as instead, I have chosen to take some familiar elements and weave them into a story where Beauty is just as broken and in need of healing and love as the Beast. I hope you enjoy my version of this tale as old as time._

* * *

**Prologue: The Rose**

_November 1970_

The music was jamming, the beer was flowing and Leon Forrest was on top of the world. Ever since he had returned an interception to score the winning touchdown against the Rainbow Warriors' biggest rival, Fresno State, school had come easy. Girls wanted him, he had an open invitation to any party on campus, and the teachers never said a word if he skipped a class or failed to turn in an assignment. Leon was a football star and enjoying every minute of it.

"Leon!"

Leon turned and saw his best friend Marshall coming toward him with a cup of beer in each hand.

"Looked like you needed a refill."

"Thanks, man," Leon replied before downing half the cup in one swallow; he planned on having fun tonight.

Throwing an arm around Marshall, Leon asked, "Do you see any girls you like?"

"You looking to get lucky?" Marshall asked jokingly.

"I'm always lucky," Leon bragged. The two friends often teased each other about girls even though they both knew that the other hardly ever spent a night alone when they went looking for female companionship. Not only were they starters for the University of Hawaii football team, they were handsome and they both knew it.

Marshall stared in the direction of a group of softball players. "I heard Emily broke up with Scott. That girl has the legs of an angel."

"Go for her." Leon pushed Marshall in Emily's direction and then finished his beer. When he went looking for another he bumped into the person behind him.

"Oh…" the woman stammered. "I'm so sorry."

Leon focused on the student; she was short, wore glasses and was wearing a dress that was way too modest for this party. She had attempted to put on make-up but it looked hideous on her, like someone had a painted on a doll. Though for some strange reason, Leon thought he had seen her before; she must be in one of his classes.

Leon started to walk away but the woman reached out and grabbed his arm. "Leon, wait! I want to talk to you." Looking back at her, Leon was about to tell her to go away but she starting speaking so fast he couldn't get a word in. "I saw you play against Fresno. I thought you were amazing. You are amazing in all of your games. Look, I just want to say I've really enjoyed being your lab partner in chemistry. I've been trying to work up the guts to approach you outside of class all semester."

As she talked, it slowly dawned on Leon that this girl liked him. Leon opened his mouth to assure her that the feeling was not mutual when she held out a rose and said, "I got this for you. Will you dance with me?"

Her eyes were so full of hope, her smile was so genuine and Leon was beyond annoyed at this interruption. He grabbed the rose, dropped it to the floor and crushed the petals with his foot. Then, looking straight into eyes that were beginning to tear, he made his point as cruelly as he knew how. "Where did you ever get the idea that a guy like me would ever go out with a freak like you?"

That solved his problem as the girl disappeared from sight as fast as she could run. Didn't she know that the only reason he tolerated her as a lab partner was because she did all the work?

Marshall called out from where he standing with one arm around Emily. "What was that about?"

"She actually thought I'd dance with a nerd like her."

When Marshall regained his ability to speak, he had to wipe tears from his eyes because he was laughing so hard. "She thought _you _would be into _her_?"

Leon rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."

One of Emily's very good looking friends walked up and placed her hands on Leon's chest. "How would you like to dance with a real woman tonight?" she purred.

Leon smiled; he was definitely getting lucky tonight.

* * *

Hung over and feeling like crap, Leon tried to figure out what in world had possessed him to come to chemistry class today. The gong ringing in his head drowned out any words that his professor was speaking and he definitely hadn't completed the assigned readings for the day. On top of that, his lab partner shot daggers at him as he approached their shared table.

Leon had no idea what that could be about; he didn't even reminder the woman's name. She was smart and did most of the work without complaint, which was a perfect situation as far as he was concerned. But today was different for some reason. He tried to think what could have gotten her all worked up but his brain wasn't functioning properly.

When the instructions were over, his partner brought over some supplies and ordered, "Mix the solution like Professor Letestu said and I'll get the rest of what we need."

Before Leon could protest that he had no idea even what solution they were supposed to be making, she stormed off toward the stock room. This was a new development; he really should have skipped class today.

Not wanting to look stupid, Leon looked down at the table and saw that there were two test tubes with a chemical in each and an empty beaker. _This isn't difficult_, he thought as he picked up one test tube and emptied the contents into the beaker, followed by the second.

When the contents of the second test tube joined the first, it caused an immediate reaction. The liquid boiled and started to rapidly rise. Suddenly, the liquid starting flying out of the beaker and a large glob landed on his face.

The liquid burned; Leon screamed and moved about in pain, his hands knocking the safety glasses he had failed to wear from the table to the floor.

"What's going on here?" their professor cried out as he ran toward Leon.

"I don't know," his partner answered, "I went to get the rest of our supplies and this happened."

Leon wanted to shout that she was lying but he could do nothing but scream. He could feel the acid eating away at his skin as the professor dragged his body toward the emergency shower. The last thing Leon saw before he passed out from the pain was a large grin on the face of his lab partner. Suddenly, he remembered the rose and his refusal.

Leon's last coherent thought was that the bitch had done it on purpose.

* * *

Time swirled together in a mixture of pain and drugs, bandages and doctors. Leon knew from the layers of gauze covering his face and the looks sent his way that the damage was bad. His friends from the university never came more than once. He didn't want them here. He didn't want to see anyone. He didn't want anyone to see how that freak had gotten the best of him.

Weeks, months passed; Leon didn't know, he didn't care and the time came for the bandages to be removed. The nurse spoke smoothly as she cut the strips of gaze. She was honest but calm, trying to prepare him for what was coming. But nothing could have prepared Leon for the moment when the nurse held up a mirror for him to look.

The face that stared back at him was one of a beast.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Dreams Destroyed**

_March 1973_

All her dreams ended in blood.

Alia Vidalgo didn't have to close her eyes to remember the moment her husband was shot, to see the blood where the bullet had hit; to see the body around which, only moments before, she had wrapped her arms in love. The body of her husband, the man she loved more than any person in the world. The body of Rono Vidalgo.

One night. One night of marriage was all Alia was given before her husband was torn cruelly away from her. Shot by a friend of her father's. The same father who couldn't let her go to live her own life, who had never accepted Rono and never would, and who was glad that Rono was dead.

A father who was never there when Alia needed him but had no problem ruining her life when she wanted him to stay away.

Alia's father, Five-O Detective Chin Ho Kelly, made sure that her marriage to Rono ended in blood.

Blood…Alia looked down at the blood staining her underwear and tried her hold back the sobs that were threatening to overtake her.

For the past two weeks, Alia had managed to make it through each day by holding onto a glimmer of hope that perhaps their one night together would give her a child. And in that child the love that she and Rono shared would live on.

No husband. No child. Only blood.

Unable to hold back the tears any longer, Alia rushed into the shower and turned on the water so that her siblings and parents wouldn't hear her cry. None of them understood. Not her, not her love for Rono. They would just pretend to be sympathetic but she knew that they were secretly happy that Rono was gone. Her mother would make tea and then make an appointment to see her therapist as if she had some medical problem the doctor would be able to cure.

None of her family would ever understand that Alia had married the only man whom she would ever love and that now their dreams of living a better life, of Rono becoming the man she always believed he could be, were gone forever.

Rono was dead. Five-O had killed him.

A knock on the bathroom door stopped her thoughts. Alia knew that it was her sister Suzy about to tell her that she needed to hurry up. So after quickly finishing her shower, Alia wrapped a towel around her body and disappeared into the bedroom that she shared with Suzy and Maria.

Throwing herself on her bed, Alia decided that there wasn't much point in moving. She didn't want to go to school and she didn't want to deal with her family. She just wanted to be left alone in her grief.

Fiddling with the wedding ring on her finger, Alia thought of Rono and imagined the joy that life would have been if he hadn't been killed. They would have left together. Rono could have taken them anywhere in his plane and they would have been free from both their fathers. Now Alia was trapped with a family who said they cared but didn't and was being forced to go back to school and finish her senior year.

Alia would have given anything to go back to that moment when it been just she and Rono flying in his plane – free.

But that was a moment Alia would never experience again.

However, while Alia would never again relive that moment, there was nothing that was forcing her to live with her family, to be reminded of what her father had done every time she saw him. She didn't have to stay here and pretend that everything was alright when, in reality, her world was falling apart.

Alia could leave. No, she _would _leave.

Decision made, Alia now found that she had the will to move and quickly got dressed. She hid the things she needed for school in her dresser and began filling her backpack with clothes and other essentials. Once the pack was filled, Alia realized that she still needed one important thing: money. She needed enough to get her out of Honolulu or preferably, off of Oahu. Alia knew that, because of her father's work in law enforcement, he would have willing spies all over the islands and she would need to get to the mainland if she truly wanted to disappear.

Alia wished that she still had her best friend to turn to. Pamela would have helped her, listened to her, understood her. But her best friend was dead and Rono had helped plant the bomb that had killed her. Before she had died, Pam had asked her if she could forgive Rono and Alia had. She had forgiven him a thousand times over since he had died. She understood how hard it had been for Rono to break free of his father. But he had broken free; he had left the life of crime behind to marry her. Rono had left it all behind because he loved her.

Her father never believed that either.

Instead, her father would point to how Rono had threatened her with a gun and how he had shot Father Jack. He would conveniently forget how Rono was forced to take such drastic measures because Five-O had showed up to kill him.

When Five-O had arrived, Rono's hand was forced; he had to make Five-O believe that he would kill his wife so the two of them could escape and live their life together. She had agreed to that plan. Father Jack's death was tragic, but it could have been avoided if only her father had let them be.

Chin Ho Kelly had stolen his daughter's husband, her future child and her happiness.

Nothing could ever make up for that but Alia would start by stealing the means to start her new life from the one who had stolen her life with Rono.

Flinging her backpack around her shoulders, Alia stepped out of her room and moved toward her parents' writing desk; no one was in the room and she could hear the sounds of her siblings eating in the kitchen. Quickly, Alia opened the top left draw where she knew her parents kept some cash for emergencies. Pulling out the envelope, she counted seventy-five dollars and stuffed it inside her backpack.

Then acting like nothing had happened, Alia entered the kitchen, grabbed a plate and helped herself to some breakfast, hoping to stay mostly unnoticed. Her mother gave her a cheerful 'good morning' to which Alia mumbled a reply. Breakfast passed without incident and then her mother announced that it was time to leave.

Alia watched as three of her siblings – Suzy, Maria and Gabriel – got on the bus to the local Junior and Senior High Schools and then quickly got in the back of her mother's car so she could be driven to Punahou School. Alia was the only one of her siblings to attend the private school; she remembered how proud her parents were when she had received the academic scholarship. Alia loved to learn but her heart was no longer in it. She no longer cared if she graduated. All her dreams had been destroyed with Rono's death.

All she was left with was blood.

* * *

Four detectives gathered to discuss the politically volatile case before them. On the board where pictures of a man with a broken arm, x-rays, and photocopies of bank statements and other evidence. What should have been a straight forward case was being made difficult by the victim valuing his reputation over his safety. The State Senator's refusal to cooperate was frustrating, but Chin Ho Kelly had figured out a long time ago that police work would be a lot easier if there were no politicians.

Steve McGarrett looked out at his men. "I spoke with Senator Bennett this morning and he still insists that his broken arm was the result of a riding accident."

"Even though," Danny Williams added, "we have his doctor's word that confirms that the break was caused by another human."

"Bennett's bank records show that he's spending more money than he's bringing in," Chin stated as the team continued to review what they knew.

Ben Kokua spoke up, "The word from my sources is that our senator likes to play cards with the highest of stakes."

"Gentlemen," Steve said, "do we have any doubt that our senator has a gambling addiction?"

Three detectives shook their heads no. "How do we get him to admit it?" Ben asked.

"That's the problem," Steve admitted.

Chin thought aloud, "We've known for a while that there's a gambling circuit in the city that caters exclusively to high-rollers with reputations to protect. If we told Bennett what we know, do you think he would be willing to use the good press of helping us close down this ring to counter the scandal of his addiction?"

Danny shook his head. "Not a chance. The scandal would still ruin him and Bennett isn't going to admit that this is going to come out sooner or later. He's going to cling to the hope that he can solve his problem without the press ever finding out. That is, until the day they do."

Chin privately admitted that Danny was right, but that didn't make Bennett's stubbornness in denying his problem any easier to deal with.

Jenny Sherman, Five-O's dutiful secretary, pushed open the door. "Sorry to interrupt. Chin, your wife is on the phone and she says it's urgent."

Steve motioned for Chin to use the phone on his desk.

Chin wasted no time in doing so. "Lin, what's wrong?"

"_Alia. Her school called to say she never showed up for classes after I dropped her off."_

"She skipped; she's done this before," Chin replied, trying to remain calm. The last time his daughter skipped school it was to marry a criminal. He tried to not think of what trouble his eldest daughter could be getting into now.

"_It's more than that, Chin. Some money is missing. I think…"_ Lin's voice cracked. _"I think she's leaving us."_

Chin could hear the pain in his wife's voice, the pain that both of them felt. "Lin, even if we know she's gone I can't report her missing for twenty-four hours and even then…" He left the rest of the sentence unspoken. He'd been about to say that because Alia was eighteen and a legal adult that things would be more difficult but to them what difference did age make? Alia would always be their baby.

"Call her friends, check around," Chin ordered. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

Hanging up the phone, Chin saw the concerned looks on his friends' faces. None of his co-workers needed to ask which child the phone call was about. They all knew of his troubles with Alia.

"Go home, Chin," Steve ordered softy.

Chin nodded his thanks as he raced out the door. There had been a wall between father and daughter ever since Alia had fallen in love with Rono Vidalgo. Chin had held out hope that in giving his eldest daughter time and space, she would come to see that he had responded in the way he had because of his love for her. The father in Chin ached deeply to see her in so much pain, to know that his baby girl was a widow at eighteen, to know that, to save his daughter's life, he had been forced to act more like a cop than a father when Alia needed her father the most.

Now Alia was gone and Chin couldn't shake the feeling that it was his fault.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:** **Running **

Alia stepped off of the city bus in a much seedier section of Honolulu than where she had started. It had been easy to act like she was heading for class and then, as soon as her mother had driven away, to walk down the street to closest bus stop.

Looking up and down the street, Alia checked her bearings and looked for the building she knew housed a bar that was a favorite of Koa Vidalgo. She had come here once before with Rono when he needed to drop something off for his brother and hadn't stayed long. However, the single visit had been enough, as Alia recognized the green window shutters. Crossing her fingers, she walked through the door.

Her luck paid off and Alia recognized Koa sitting by the back wall with a group of friends. Her brother-in-law spotted her almost immediately and called out, "You're never going to convince the bartender that you're of age with that backpack."

Alia knew she was here to get Koa's help, but she was unable to keep her voice from sounding cold as she replied, "I'm not here for a drink."

Koa didn't sound any happier to see her either. "Look, Kelly, you're not welcome here."

Anger flashed in her eyes as Alia shot back, "It's Vidalgo or have you forgotten that I am your sister-in-law?"

"Your father?"

"Doesn't know I'm here and the only way he'll find out is if you tell him."

Koa flinched as he realized what his sister-in-law was implying. "How can you trust me?"

"Because you owe me. Ratting out your brother got you a deal. Now use that life you earned with your brother's blood to help his wife."

Koa leaned back in seat and shrugged his shoulders as he attempted to regain control of the conversation. "It's not my fault the only solid evidence they had was on Rono and Bertie."

"It was only because you told them that they knew where Rono was."

"Alia, why are you here? Rono's dead. This isn't a place for the daughter of a cop."

"Maybe I don't want to be the daughter of a cop anymore." Realizing that arguing was getting her nowhere, Alia changed tactics. "I'm leaving, Koa, and I need your help."

"I don't have any money to give."

"I don't need your money," Alia stated firmly. "I need a place to lay low until I can get enough money to get off this island."

Koa seemed to be considering her proposition when one of his friends nudged him and said, "You could send her to Ryder's."

Koa sighed and gave in. "Alright, Alia. I guess I owe you one, but one is all you're going to get."

"I understand."

"Rono and I were good friends with this guy in Pearl City. Tell him who you are and he'll let you crash at his place for a while." Koa then jotted down an address and handed it to Alia, who took the paper and swiftly left.

* * *

"No answer," Chin said as he hung up the phone.

"I wish I knew how Tim can spend so much time out with his friends with all those classes he's taking," Lin replied, her attempt to lighten the mood failing due to the concerned tone of her voice.

For the past several hours, Chin and Lin had checked every place that Alia could conceivably be if she hadn't run away. Lin had called the parents of all of her daughter's friends to see if they knew anything, and Chin had visited all of her favorite spots around town. While out, he had learned that someone in Five-O had unofficially spread the word that Alia had run off so the day had been full of HPD officers reporting in that they hadn't seen her. Calling their eldest son, Tim, was more to check another possibility off of their list, because the chances were very slim that Alia would have confided in her older brother. Alia had steadfastly refused to talk about Rono with anyone in the family. But Chin would still call again later, just in case.

Chin exchanged a worried look with his wife; they had been searching all day and were running out of places to look. Oahu wasn't that large of an island, but it wasn't difficult for someone to disappear if they wanted to and by now it was very clear that Alia wanted to.

The only source of comfort Chin had was that Alia had stolen the money. That meant that, at least for today, she wouldn't be hungry or without a roof over her head or worse…

Chin tried not to think about the worse case scenarios: twenty-five years in law enforcement meant that he had already seen them all. The truth was that he knew there were a couple of other places for them to look, but he did not want to mention them in front of his wife and cause her to be even more anxious than she already was. He would wait until Alia was officially missing before checking the morgue and the hospitals. Though, when Chin thought about it, it wouldn't hurt to call Bergman and ask him to be on the lookout.

Chin reached again for the phone when the sound of the school bus told him that some of his other children were home. Four teenagers stepped off of the bus and for a moment Chin dared hope that somehow Alia was coming home. But not one of the girls was Alia.

Suzy burst through the front door, calling out, "Mom, I brought Kini home. Is that okay?" Then after seeing that her father was also home she asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin replied softly, "Kini, you can stay but we need to talk privately with our children for a moment."

"Sure, Mrs. Kelly," Kini said.

Chin watched the teenager leave the room. Even though Kini was Alia's age, she was best friends with the younger Suzy. While Alia and Suzy were close, the fact that they attended different schools meant that their friends were from different circles. Chin doubted that Kini would have any knowledge about his oldest daughter's disappearance.

Picking up the mood from her parents, Maria looked anxious. "What is it, Mom?"

Even though Chin knew how much Lin was hurting inside, she was a source of pure strength and care as she looked her children in the eye and gently broke the news. "Alia skipped school today. We found some money missing along with several days' worth of clothes. We believe your sister may have run away."

Following his wife's example, Chin matched his tone to hers. "I know you don't want to get your sister in trouble, but what she is doing can be dangerous. If she mentioned anything about leaving or where she was planning to go, we need you to tell us."

Gabriel spoke up first. "Alia doesn't talk to me."

Maria shook her head 'no'.

"She hasn't talked with any of us since…" Suzy paused and looked away from her father.

Suzy's look was like a dagger to her father's heart even though Chin would never tell his daughter that. Even though it had been Duke who had pulled the trigger, his children all believed that he had had a hand in Rono's death.

Chin tried to convince himself that his children were too young to understand how deadly Rono had been and how close Alia had come to losing her life that fateful day. However, the only thing his children understood was that Alia had run off with a boyfriend of whom their father disapproved and, when Dad had gone after that boyfriend, he had ended up dead. It was hard for all of them to comprehend that Rono had been a dangerous criminal.

Chin's heart ached. He loved each and every one of his children and it hurt to know that the difficult choices he had to make in his career were once again affecting the relationships that were the most important to him.

* * *

"You can't catch me!"

Moke wanted to scream as he chased after his little brother. He hated babysitting, especially when Pika was acting like a little terror. Right now, his brother had stolen his favorite comic book and had run into the forest outside of their neighborhood. "You are in so much trouble when Mom gets home!"

Pika stuck out his tongue in reply and ran further in the woods.

Saying a word that would have gotten his mouth washed out with soap if his mother had heard, Moke had no choice but to keep chasing his brother. The threat of anything happening to his precious comic book kept him moving.

Suddenly, Moke saw a small cottage in the distance that was surrounded by a large rose garden. His heart leapt into his throat as the pre-teen recognized where his brother was headed. "Pika, no! Don't go there!"

Sensing the urgency in his brother's voice, Pika miraculously stopped. Looking back at his older brother, he asked, "Why not?"

"The holoholona lives there."

"The what?"

"The beast," Moke replied. Then lowering his voice, he whispered. "He has the body of a man and the face of a horrible beast. Anyone who looks into that face runs away in terror."

"You're just trying to scare me."

"I've seen him, Pika. The holoholona. He is scary and mean too. He yelled at me and Henry when we played too close to his house. He hates people and especially us kids. I even heard that people who get too close disappear and are never heard from again."

Pika shuddered and Moke took advantage of his brother's fear, walking right up to him and snatching back his comic book. "Got it!"

"You tricked me!" Pika whined.

Moke laughed and then replied seriously, "The holoholona is real. If you are smart, you'll stay away. Now let's go home."

Pika looked back at the cottage and roses, unsure of whether he believed his brother or not. Moke could be bossy but he didn't sound like he was joking. Deciding that the roses freaked him out, Pika followed his brother home.

Unknown to them both, a bitter scarred young man watched them go.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: A Hiding Place**

Chin stood outside the Punahou School as the students gathered for the start of the day, trying to think like his eldest daughter. He knew where Lin had dropped Alia off and if he was going to have any chance of finding his daughter's trail, he needed to think rationally. He couldn't afford to let emotion get in the way. Desperate young women were prime targets for the worst sorts of criminals, and he would not let that happen to his daughter.

Thinking like a cop, Chin ascertained that the first thing his daughter would have needed to do was put some distance between her and the school. Alia didn't have a car, and unless she found someone else to drive her, her only other options would have been a taxi or The Bus. Chin figured it would have been difficult to find a taxi at a school at this hour so he headed towards the closest bus stop.

Chin didn't have to wait long until the next scheduled stop, a sign that bolstered Chin's hopes that Alia had taken this route. So when the driver pulled up and opened the door, the detective showed the driver his badge and a picture of his daughter. "Kelly. Five-O. Did this woman take your bus around this time yesterday morning?"

"Yeah," the driver answered with no hesitation. "I remember her. You could tell she was skipping. Still had her backpack on and everything."

"Do you remember where she got off?"

"The Ala Moana Mall."

_The Ala Moana Mall. _Chin bit his lip as he considered the implications of that news. The mall was a big problem. For if Alia had just skipped school to go shopping, she would have come home last night. No, his daughter was thinking like someone who wanted to hide. She knew her father would question the bus drivers so she went to a high traffic location where it would be almost impossible for Chin to track which bus his daughter had taken from there. He could drive over and ask around, but the chances of another driver recognizing his daughter's picture were slim.

Impatient with Chin's silence, the driver asked, "Look, man, is that all? I'm going to be behind on my route."

Chin nodded his thanks and stepped off the bus. He quickly decided that he would be better off trying to figure out what Alia's final destination had been than waste hours tracking down a trail that was quickly going cold. His daughter could travel to practically anywhere in Honolulu from the bus stop at the mall, so the question remained: where did Alia go?

She hadn't gone to any of her friends' homes as they had checked that first. Besides, Chin believed that the only friend to whom Alia might have turned would have been Pamela. But Pamela was dead and Rono had been an accessory to her murder. Why hadn't Pamela's death shown his daughter the type of man Rono really was?

Or had Alia known and decided to marry Rono anyway? What kind of father was Chin if he could raise a daughter who could overlook the murder of her best friend?

No, Alia was still in denial. She had to be. The alternative was just too painful to consider.

Alia had loved Rono. She had _married_ him. Chin had to accept this, as hard as it was. He had to think of his daughter not just as baby girl but as a grieving widow. So where would a young woman who had just lost the person she considered the love of her life go to ease her pain?

An idea can to him and Chin berated himself for not thinking of it sooner. However, he didn't have time to spend on regrets; he needed to get to airport and fast.

* * *

She had been on the run for a day. She had arrived in Pearl City last night, but she had wanted to wait for daylight before making her decision. For even though she had gone to Koa for help, she didn't completely trust him.

Summoning up courage, Alia approached a large two story house and knocked on the front door. It only took a few moments before the door was opened by a beautiful blond young woman. "Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Um," Alia answered nervously. "Koa Vidalgo sent me. I'm looking for Michael Ryder."

"Wait a moment."

A sense of unease grew within Alia as the girl disappeared back into the house. _Easy, _she thought to herself. _The girl is probably Ryder's girlfriend._ There was no point in jumping to hasty conclusions. But…

Maybe she should go.

But before Alia could take a step, the door opened again and Michael stood in the doorway. Ryder looked to be about ten years older than Alia with short brown curly hair and green eyes that twinkled.

"Koa sent you."

"Yes, my name is Alia Vidalgo. I'm Rono's wife and I need a place to stay low for a couple days."

Ryder's eyes traveled up and down her body as if studying her. What clues he was looking for, Alia had no idea. However, it didn't take long for Ryder to give an answer, "I heard Rono had a girl. I'm sorry to hear about his death. Any member of the Vidalgo family is welcome here."

Alia smiled. "Thank you."

One of the first things Alia noticed as she stepped into Ryder's house was that it was evident that a lot of people lived here. And as Ryder gave her the tour she realized that the inhabitants were a lot of young woman and a few young men. A tiny alarm bell started going off in her head, and Michael seemed to notice her growing unease.

"As you can see, you aren't the only person who has come here looking for a place to stay. I serve as a boarding house of sorts for the wait staff at a local club. So you'll find that we keep late hours."

Michael's words made sense. Waitresses didn't make a ton of money and would need a cheap place to stay. Then when Alia discovered that she would have her own, albeit small, room most of her suspicions eased.

Yet, in the back of her head, Alia could hear her father urging her to leave, telling her that she wasn't safe, that she didn't know anything about this man. Well, Alia was tired of living her life according to her father's rules. She was ready to be her own woman. She would stay.

At least for one night.

* * *

It had taken Chin longer to get to Kauai than he had wanted. But, when he pulled up to the Makani Air Church in a borrowed jeep, he feared that his haste would mean nothing in the end. The place looked deserted.

As Chin walked across the grass, he saw the white church and cabins, and the beautiful mountains; the whole scene spoke of a peace that ran counter to his memories of the last time he stood in this place. But then he spotted Rono's plane sitting on the runway and the illusion of peace shattered as the memories came rushing back. For he didn't have to close his eyes to see Rono threatening his daughter or to see his daughter weeping over her husband's body.

Each step was painful. For each step brought back memories he wished he could forget.

Chin looked into the church and discovered that it was empty. As he headed towards the cabins, towards _the _cabin, he stopped by a makeshift memorial. A wooden cross was surrounded by flowers and other mementoes. Father Jack's parishioners had created it to remember the good man.

The detective bowed his head to pay his respects. The anger he had initially felt toward the priest for officiating the wedding had disappeared as he had watched the Father give his life to save his daughter's. If only all men could be so honorable.

Anger simmered within Chin as he stood over the memorial. What was the matter with his daughter? Rono had shot and killed Father Jack right before her eyes! He helped plant the bomb that had killed Pam! He had threatened to kill her! And yet Alia loved him. What was a father to do?

The grieving father moved on and entered the cabin. He tried not to think about what had happened in this place, but he failed. His daughter had consummated her marriage in that bed. At that moment, a sudden thought hit him. Could Alia be pregnant? Had that been what triggered her need to run away? Had she believed that they would force her to give up the child?

Chin told himself that it didn't matter if Alia was pregnant. He just wanted his daughter back. If a grandchild came along sooner than he had hoped then he would love and care for that child the same way he cared for his own. Children didn't control the circumstances of their birth.

Stepping back outside, he began the slow process of checking every cabin. But his initial assessment had been correct. The camp was empty. Alia was not here.

The father and cop had failed again.

* * *

Alia had never realized that music could be this loud or that this many people could squeeze into one living room. One thing was sure though: Michael certainly knew how to throw a party.

As she danced, she wondered just how long she could continue living in this wonderland. She had already stayed three nights and the other inhabitants were friendly enough and no one bothered her when she retreated to her room. The problem was that she feared she would soon wear out her welcome. Her one attempt to wander outside the house to find a job ended quickly when she spotted two policemen chatting on a nearby corner. She had been too frightened to leave ever since.

The song ended and Alia separated from her partner and turned to find something to drink.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Michael asked as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

"Yes, thank you."

"Have a drink."

Alia hesitated as she looked at the dark liquid in the shot glass. She had experimented a little bit with alcohol, but she had never drunk more than a couple sips at a time; she hadn't been fond of the taste.

_You're still trying to be Daddy's good little girl._

She grabbed the shot and downed it in one gulp. The liquid burned as it traveled down her throat, but she smiled anyway as she handed the empty glass back to her host. She was no longer under her father's roof. She was going to enjoy this party to the fullest.

Two more shots and a couple of beers later, Alia was having a blast. All of her worries had disappeared as she danced on the floor with Michael by her side. As the music slowed down, his hands began to run up and down her sides as he pressed against her body. It felt good, really good. When Michael's lips kissed hers, her body responded. A small part of her mind whispered that she was making a mistake, but her brain felt fuzzy and the rest of her body was on fire. He smiled as they broke apart, his eyes full of desire.

As Michael pulled her into his bed, never once did she consider that she was doing something that she would later regret.


	5. Chapter 4

**Four:** **Selling Her Soul**

Alia woke slowly, feeling the light touch of satin sheets against her bare skin. She didn't want to get up. She didn't want this moment to end. There was no better feeling than sharing a bed with her husband. "Rono…" she whispered as she reached out her hand to caress his skin, but her husband wasn't there.

Alia sat straight up, concerned, but as the light from the window assaulted her eyes she quickly closed them. However, it was too late as the beginnings of a headache began to form. Plus, her brain wasn't working right; trying to think felt like she was wading through mud. But, after a few moments, she was able to recall a few important things: this wasn't the camp. Rono wasn't here. Rono was dead. Five-O had killed him.

But if she wasn't with Rono then what was she doing naked in an unfamiliar bed in a strange room with an aching head?

"Hey, babe," a voice called out from across the room.

Slowly opening her eyes, Alia spotted a man in the doorway to the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Michael was his name. She was staying at his place. She had slept in his bed.

Memories of last night cut through the haze in her brain. The dancing, the drinking, Michael inviting her upstairs.

_Oh God, what have I done?_

"Here, drink this," Michael said, as he sat on the edge of the bed and lifted a glass of water to her lips. As she drank greedily, he asked, "First hangover?"

Alia grunted.

The bed shifted as Michael moved closer. She was racked with guilt when she noticed the way in which he was looking at her and she remembered the ease with which she had let him pull her into his bed. Rono wasn't even cold in the ground and she was already replacing him. What in the world had she been thinking?

Michael draped an arm around her shoulders and leaned in to nibble her neck. Alia tensed, but she didn't pull away. He had gotten a whole lot farther last night.

"I talked with my boss," he whispered into her ear. "He's willing to offer you a job as a waitress at the club. Do you want it?"

She needed a job. There was no question about that. But why was Michael offering her this job now? Was it because she had slept with him? Was that all she was to him, a whore?

She didn't have to accept. She did have another choice. She could get dressed, walk out the door, and go home. But that would mean facing her father. Going back to the life she hated. Being forced to forget Rono and their love.

No. She wouldn't go back. She couldn't. She refused to lie to her father and admit that he was right. She was a grown woman, capable of making her own choices. She would do whatever was necessary to survive. After all, if sex was the price for this job then she might as well accept. She had already paid the piper.

Faking a smile, Alia met Michael's eyes. "When do I start?"

* * *

Chin slowly worked his way through a large pile of correspondence, trying to lose himself in his job. He had returned to the office this morning as he couldn't afford to keep burning vacation days, but also because he was in desperate need of the distraction.

He and Lin had had a difficult discussion last night and they had come to the conclusion that Alia probably wouldn't be found until she decided that she wanted to be found. And that hurt. It hurt because he knew how hard HPD had searched. His daughter had to have gone to great lengths to avoid discovery.

_She's depressed. She's in denial_, Chin told himself. But that mantra didn't help. His daughter was hurting and she had decided that she wanted nothing to do with the family who loved her. He wished that Alia had instead chosen a path that would have just punished him. Lin didn't deserve this. No mother did.

Chin forced his attention back to the pile of letters on his desk. Security inspected all incoming correspondence of local politicians. It was they could note any threatening letters and remove any unsafe substances that might do any of the influential figures harm. Since Senator Bennett was still refusing to cooperate with their investigation, Steve had pulled rank and gotten Five-O assigned to inspecting his official mail.

Now it was Chin's job to discover if there were any clues to be found in the daunting stack. So after pulling on a pair of gloves, he went to work.

An hour later, he had sorted most of the mail into several stacks. The largest pile was letters from constituents asking the senator to vote a certain way or advocating for a specific cause. There was also the expected pile of hate mail; however, there was nothing serious or suspicious in those letters. No, the threatening letters were in a small stack that Chin would give to Bennett's security staff. There was also a pile of thank you notes and other friendly correspondence and finally, a pile of the just plain weird. But so far nothing that hinted at Bennett's gambling addiction.

The next letter had no return address and, when Chin slit it open, a playing card fell out. Immediately, his hopes were raised. The card was an ace of spades, but written on the card was a date for this Friday. Chin suspected that this was the date when the next payment was due.

Carefully flipping over the card with a gloved hand, Chin smiled as he saw a golden dragon on the back. He now knew who Bennett's tormenter was. There was only one place in Hawaii where one could get a hold of one of those cards: _The Dragon's Lair_ – an illegal casino run by a man known only as the Dragon. Five-O and HPD knew only rumors about the man in charge and all their attempts to locate the casino had failed. For the Dragon maintained an iron grip on his employees and all patrons were carefully screened. Retribution was swiftly dwelt out to anyone who threatened the operation or tried to back out of a debt. It was certainly not beyond the Dragon to break Bennett's arm. The state senator's power and influence would do him little good.

Inspecting the envelope again, Chin noted that it had been sent from a post office in Pearl City. Now, Chin wouldn't put it past the Dragon to purposely send his mail from a post office some distance from his operation. But they had searched all over Honolulu for the Dragon's casino with a fine toothed comb to no avail. Had they been searching in the wrong area all along?

Chin picked up the phone and dialed Che. They finally had a break. And while he doubted that there would be any fingerprints on the card or the envelope, they had to check. He would not let this break go to waste.

Friday was only three days away.

* * *

It was almost four in the morning by the time Alia stumbled back into her small room at Ryder's. Michael hadn't been kidding when he said that the girls worked long hours. However, the waitressing job was exactly the position she needed to get herself out of this mess.

Michael's boss was a man called the Dragon. She hadn't met him, but the staff had all spoken his name with reverence and a hint of fear. His club was actually an illegal casino that catered to some very high-rollers. The club's nature meant her likelihood of her running into her father or his friends while she was at work was practically nil. The Dragon's operation had given her the freedom she needed to work away from the eyes of the police.

The work itself wasn't too bad. For the first night, she had put on the fanciest dress she had ever worn and then followed another woman around as they delivered drinks and engaged in some friendly conversation with the customers.

Alia did not fail to notice the size of the tips that many of these men were leaving. Once she was out of training, she was hopeful that she'd earn a decent amount of cash in only a few short weeks. Her base salary would go to Ryder for providing room and board.

After stripping off her dress and washing off her make-up, Alia collapsed into bed, eager to get some much needed rest when she heard a light knock on her door. She looked up and saw Michael easing himself into the room.

Alia's breath caught in her throat. She knew why he was here. The question was: what should she do? Because last night she could almost excuse. She had been lonely and drunk and not completely aware of what she had been doing until it was too late. What excuse did she have tonight?

"I missed you upstairs," he whispered seductively into her ear, as he lay down beside her.

"I wasn't sure you wanted to," Alia rambled, unsure of what to do. "Last night I was drunk and I probably pushed myself on you…"

"Babe," Michael said gently, "last night was wonderful. And tonight promises to be even better."

Alia let Michael kiss her as she debated her options. What would Rono think if he saw her now? But, the truth was, Rono was dead. Loyalty to her husband wouldn't do her any good now. She needed money to get off the island, which meant she needed this job. She could push and find out if the sex was a requirement or she could give in and just be grateful that she had Michael's support.

When Michael pulled back, she knew that there was no saying 'no'. The lust in his eyes was unmistakable.

It didn't matter how much she regretted making this decision. She had to do whatever it took to escape her father. If it meant keeping Michael's bed warm for a little while longer, then so be it.


	6. Chapter 5

**Five:** **Hitting Rock Bottom**

It was Friday night and the place was packed. Alia was finally released from training and free to work without supervision. Yet, she found herself just going through the motions, forcing a smile on her face. She was exhausted. Her parents could walk through the front door and she doubted that they would recognize her now. Besides, her mother would have a fit if she saw her wearing a dress with a neckline this low. But she had to admit that the reveling dress helped her bring in nice tips.

A hand gripped her right shoulder causing her to spin around. Many of the customers had wandering hands and she had to be firm, but polite in order to discourage their advances while still remaining in their favor. However, to her relief, the hand belonged to one of the other waitresses. Stephanie was her name, just Stephanie; all the girls were on a first name only basis.

Stephanie smiled gently. "Late night last night?"

"Yeah," Alia mumbled.

"Look, I know it's hard, but I promise you it will get better."

Alia shrugged. She had no time to waste on empty words.

The other girl seemed to read her mind. "In a couple days we'll get a new girl and your nights will become a whole lot less busy. Once you start getting a full night's sleep, you'll find that the job's not that hard."

Alia understood the words that weren't being said she asked, "Is that what happened with you?"

"Honey, that's what happened with all of us."

A past version of Alia would have been insulted at the realization that she was just the latest plaything, but her current self just felt relief. There was an end in sight. And, once she saved up enough money, she would be able to leave these islands and never return.

Stephanie took her order from her. "Why don't you go take a quick breather? I'll cover for you."

"Thanks," Alia said and quickly left the floor for the staff area in the back. But as she walked across an empty store room she heard harsh voices headed her way. Fearful that she would get in trouble if she was spotted, she ducked behind a stack of crates.

Two bouncers escorted a frightened white man wearing an expensive suit and a sling on his arm into the room. A few seconds later, the door across the way opened and a short Korean man entered the room.

Alia bit her lip. That man was her boss, the Dragon, and she was positive that she wasn't supposed to be here.

She should leave, sneak quietly out the way she came in, but she couldn't. She was trapped.

The Dragon spoke first. "I thought I made it clear what would happen if you missed another payment. Did my last lesson fail to make it clear how serious I am?"

"No…" the man stammered. "No, sir. If I had the money I would pay you. It's just my manager noticed the money missing from political accounts. I couldn't take more without raising suspicion."

The Dragon's voice dropped to a harsh whisper, but Alia was still able to hear every word. "Am I hearing you correctly? You are saying your career is more important than your debts?"

"I…"

"I have no further use for a man who refuses to pay his debts. You hide behind your position. But no one is beyond my power." Then after signaling to his bouncers, the Dragon turned and left the room.

"No. No! Please! I'll pay!"

The man was forced to his knees by one of the large men while the other took out a gun, attached a silencer and placed it up against his victim's skull.

A few seconds later, Alia watched another man die before her eyes.

* * *

Another day of frustrations and failures weighed heavily on Chin's heart as he looked forward to another sleepless night. The playing card had given them no further information. Bennett's debt was due today and the State Senator had eluded his tail. Steve had HPD patrolling the streets of Pearl City, but they were going to have to be lucky to catch their prey tonight.

Likewise, there had been no progress in finding Alia. HPD kept their eyes open, but they couldn't keep up the intense search from earlier in the week. They had to move on to other tasks.

Chin felt guilty, because the more time that passed, the more he found himself focusing on his day-to-day responsibilities. But what else could he do? Regular life had to go on. There were six other children still at home to care for.

Chin stepped inside Amy's and Tilda's room. Amy was still downstairs with Lin, but Tilda was lying in bed, looking at him with bright beautiful eyes. In spite of all his worries, Chin smiled as he asked, "Did you say your prayers?"

"Yes, I asked God to bring my sister home. When's Alia coming home?"

"I don't know, sweetheart."

"But how will she live on her own?"

Six years old and not afraid to ask the questions that Chin asked himself privately every hour since Alia had disappeared. Even though Tilda was so young he knew he couldn't lie to her. "I don't know. That's why I'm trying very hard to find her."

Sitting up, Tilda hugged her cat stuffed animal tightly and whispered, "I'm scared, Daddy."

Chin sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around his daughter. "I'm still here. I will never leave you and I will do my best to find Alia."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Fighting back the tears that threatened to flow, Chin helped Tilda lay down and then he tucked in his youngest child and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

Then turning his gaze from his youngest to the stars shining brightly outside, Chin thought of his daughter whom he would give anything at that moment to kiss goodnight. _I love you, Alia. No matter where you go or what you do I will always love you. _

* * *

Out of breath and scared out of her mind, Alia pushed through Ryder's front door and stumbled into his living room. She had barely managed to get out of the _Lair _without anyone noticing her and, as soon as she was free, she had run straight here.

She had nowhere else to go.

Michael looked up from the couch. "Hey, babe, why aren't you are at work?"

"Michael, we need to talk."

"What's wrong?"

"I saw…" Alia hesitated. She had slept with this man, but how well did she really know him? Though what other choice did she have? She had to trust someone. Michael surely cared for her. "I saw the bouncers kill a man! I can't go back. If they knew that I saw, they'll kill me too!"

"Okay, babe, calm down," Michael reassured her. "I'll get you out of here. Go pack your things and I'll grab the car."

Grateful that she had found an ally, she ran up the stairs to her room. It didn't take long to throw everything she owned in a backpack along with the rest of her parents' money and several days worth of tips hidden on the bottom. She debated changing out of the cocktail dress, but she didn't have time. Michael told her to hurry!

She rushed back down the steps in time to see Michael hang up the phone. An accusation formed on her lips, but Michael spoke before she managed to get a word in. "I called the boss. I told him you were sick. That way they won't wonder why you skipped out on the rest of your shift."

Relief filled Alia. Michael hadn't betrayed her. "Thank you."

"Let's go."

Scared half to death, Alia kept a white-knuckled grip on her bag as she followed Michael to his car. They traveled in silence as he drove out of the city. But when they rounded the corner onto a deserted section of country road, the car came to a stop.

Alia's heart stopped. She couldn't imagine why they would have stopped, at least not any good reasons.

"Get out," Michael ordered.

"What? Why?" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

"I said get out of the car." A small handgun that suddenly appeared in his hand reinforced the order.

Alia gasped as she quickly obeyed. Michael had betrayed her! But as she stepped out onto the grassy hill, she slipped. High heels and the outdoors were not meant to mix. She quickly stood back up and slung her backpack across her shoulders. She couldn't afford to lose it. That was, if Michael let her live.

Michael also excited the car, his gun still pointed straight at her. "You girls are all the same," he taunted, "young, desperate, _easy_. You really thought I would choose you over the Dragon? It's my job to watch over you and get rid of anyone who threatens our operation."

As Alia stepped back in fear, she stumbled again, but this time her right heel slipped off her foot. "But Rono was your friend!"

Michael flicked the safety off. "I don't know what Rono was thinking getting mixed up with a girl like you. You don't have what it takes to survive in this world."

Grabbing her shoe, Alia didn't hesitate; she threw it right at Michael. He jerked back and his gun went off, the shot going wide. She quickly grabbed her other heel and threw it so he couldn't get off a second shot before dashing into the forest.

Her feet screamed at her as she ran barefoot over rocks and roots and sticks. Branches whipped her face as she ran. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that she put as much distance between her and Michael as possible. If Michael caught her, he would kill her. And no matter how bad her life was, Alia wasn't ready to die.

She ran faster and longer than she ever had in her life when she stumbled into a clearing next to a small cottage. She didn't have time to knock on the door. Michael could be right behind her! So she dove into one of the many rose bushes that surrounded the house, ignoring the thorns that dug into her flesh.

For a few blessed moments, she dared hope that she had lost her pursuer, but all too soon Michael jogged into the yard. His hand rested on his gun as he scanned the premises.

Alia didn't even dare breathe.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The Man Who Grew Roses**

Leon turned off the TV in disgust. There was nothing on. Though to be fair to the producers, it was one o'clock in the morning. However, that excuse did little to alleviate his foul mood. A few years ago, he would have thought that the night was still young, partying and drinking with his friends until dawn. Now he lived alone with the voices on the TV as his only companions.

No friends came anymore. No girls warmed his bed. He couldn't even find solace in the bottle; the alcohol interfered with the medications he took for the pain. He had built his whole social life around football. When he could no longer play, his whole world had fallen apart. He couldn't stay in school and get a degree. He was only passing classes because his professors weren't allowed to fail him. If he had stayed in school, he would have had to start studying. And studying was never his thing.

No, when he was discharged from the hospital, he used what was left of his inheritance to buy this cottage where he could be alone. Where he wouldn't have to put up with all the whispers and the stares. Though part of him wondered why he bothered getting out of bed each morning. There seemed little point in living this half-life.

The depression then threatened to engulf him only lessened when Leon glanced out his window at the rose garden outside. The roses were the only thing that kept him going. Because when he looked at their beauty, when he contemplated their elegance, anger flowed through his veins and helped him feel again.

The roses reminded him of _her._

He would never forget how that bitch had tricked him. How she had ruined his life. The roses wouldn't let him forget about the evil done to him and the wickedness of the female gender. For it didn't matter how beautiful and innocent they looked, all woman had thorns that would pierce him if they could.

Women were all deceivers and haters of men. Oh, they acted sweet and helpless when it suited them, but they were, without a doubt, the most ruthless creatures on earth.

The anger continued to grow within him and told him that he couldn't end it all, because ending it all would mean letting _her _win. And the one thing that hadn't changed after the accident was that Leon Forest never ever let someone else win.

He'd show her. Yes, he would. He had grown the best rose garden on the islands and his roses were sold in all the upscale floral shops. He had survived her trap and he would keep on living and one day he would have his revenge.

The sound of footsteps and a raised voice interrupted thoughts. _Damn_ _kids_.

The local kids would often poke around his house on a dare. He knew what was said. Come and see the holoholona, the beast, the man with no soul. Well, if those kids wanted a scare, he would give them one. Grabbing a baseball bat, Leon stepped outside.

He had guessed wrong. There was no group of kids on a dare or drunken teenagers stumbling around, but only a single man who was prowling around his garden.

"You!" Leon hollered.

The man quickly turned, but not before Leon caught a glimpse of a gun before the intruder tucked it into his waistband. "Sorry, to intrude, but I am looking for a thief. She stole something valuable from me and I saw her headed in this direction."

While the gun did concern him, Leon refused to be intimidated on his own property. Especially by some flop of a man who tried to sweet talk him like he was blind. Taking two steps, Leon walked into a moonlight portion of his yard. "There is no one here. Leave my property now."

The intruder gasped when he saw Leon's face. And Leon had to admit that the one benefit of his scars was that it did make him appear dangerous. He didn't care if it was the burns, the disfigured nose, or a head that was partly bald that caused the man's fear. But it did the job and now that the man had seen it, he couldn't leave fast enough.

"I'm sorry, man. I'll go."

Leon watched the man scamper off into the woods. He would keep an eye out as he didn't think that he would go far. Not if he believed that the object of his hunt was in this area. Though he could have warned the man that catching her wouldn't be worth it. Women never were.

He turned to go back inside the cottage when he spotted a few broken branches on the ground. His anger returned with a fury. _The blasted man had messed up his roses. _

Storming over to the ruined bush, he carefully pushed aside a branch and saw the thing he hated the most. A young woman.

She yelped as he discovered her, but she retained enough sense to rise and come out into the yard where he could look at her, though her eyes constantly darted around the yard in fear. It seemed that the man had been telling the truth. He was looking for this girl.

"Help me," she begged. "If that man finds me here, he'll kill me."

Leon remained silent as he looked at the girl. She looked like a whore. She was wearing a ripped cocktail dress, that would have revealed plenty even before the damage. Her feet were bare and bleeding. Her arms and face were covered with scratches, and her black hair had partially escaped from a tight bun. A schoolgirl's backpack was slung across her shoulders. That didn't make any sense, but it wasn't his job to make sense of this woman and her problems.

She was trembling and, when their eyes met, she gasped in fear and quickly looked down. Leon shook his head. A woman. It had to be a woman. And this one looked desperate, which meant that she was dangerous. He needed to get rid of her and fast. "I'll call the police," he growled.

She began to panic. "No, _please_! No cops."

"Fine then," he snapped, quickly losing patience with the whole situation. "Just go!"

"Can't you just hide me for the night?"

Who did this girl think he was? There was no way that he was letting her stay within sight of his cottage. "You can't stay!"

Her voice gained that whiney tone that always drove him mad. "I can't leave. They'll kill me!"

"Go away!"

"Please," she cried. "I'll do anything!" Then reaching up she started to undo the ties on her dress.

Offended, Leon roared, "What do you think I am? A beast?"

The girl jumped back and looked ready to bolt. However, he wasn't ready to let her go now. Not after what she had just done.

"Look at me!" he ordered.

Shaking, the girl gulped and then forced herself to meet his eyes.

"What is your name?"

Her voice was a whisper. "Alia Vidalgo."

Seeing the ring on her finger, he asked, "Where's your husband?"

"Dead."

"You're young to be a widow."

"You're young to be hermit," Alia shot back.

How dare her! How dare she come onto his property, hide in his garden, dare to insinuate that he was a beast controlled by sexual urges and then judge his lifestyle! Well, he would show her. He'd prove her wrong. So caught up in his rage, he barely even realized that he was about to do the one thing he swore he would never do: give aid to a desperate woman.

"I told you, I'm not an animal! So stay! Sleep on the couch and I'll figure out what to do with you in the morning."

"Thank you. Thank you. You won't regret this."

Leon snapped his mouth shut. He was regretting it already. However, this would just be for one night. He'd turn her out in the morning. And there was no way he was giving up his bed. She could sleep on the couch!

Besides, he would not let himself forget. It didn't matter how beautiful or helpless she appeared. She was a woman. She had thorns and she would hurt him in the end. It was what all women did.

* * *

The first ring woke Chin from his slumber. The second barely had time to register before he had snatched the phone off its cradle. He had learned to move quickly in order to avoid waking up his children.

"Hello."

"_Chin, it's Steve."_

The tone in Steve's voice told him this call wasn't about Alia, so he asked about the other most likely reason for his boss could be calling. "Where's the body?"

"_Dumped in an alley in Pearl City. Chin, its State Senator Bennett."_

Chin let out a low whistle. The political repercussions from this would be huge. Why hadn't that man agreed to work with them? He would have ruined his reputation, but saved his life. Now, both were lost. What a waste. "I'm on my way."

Steve gave him the address and hung up. Lin rolled over and looked at her husband. Years of experience meant that she didn't need to listen to the other side of the conversation to know what was going on. "Should I expect you back in time for breakfast?"

Chin leaned in and gave his wife a quick kiss. "Not today. Don't wait on me for dinner either."

"That big?"

"Lead story on the morning news big."

Lin's eyes widened, but she didn't press. She knew that she would have to find out the details when the rest of the island did.

After changing into a suit, Chin exchanged one more kiss with the most wonderful woman in the world. "Love you."

How he wished that he had time to linger, but he did not. So without another word, he rushed out the door to discover just how Senator Bennett had met his untimely fate.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Nightmares**

When Alia opened her eyes, it took several fear-filled moments before she remembered where she was and why. However, once the memories returned, she began to berate herself. She was a fool. Trusting that Michael was a good man simply because her brother-in-law said so. The same brother-in-law who betrayed his brother in order to save his own skin. Then believing that a man would choose her over his employer simply because he slept with her. And once she was freed from both men, she threw herself upon the mercy of a stranger! And not just any stranger, but a man and a beastly looking one at that.

She should leave. Now. Before her host woke up and decided that he too had something to gain by betraying her. But as Alia rose, her feet screamed out in pain. They were scratched and blood-caked, and her exposed arms and legs looked just as bad. She was in no shape to keep on running.

Gritting her teeth, she grabbed her backpack and limped toward the bathroom. Once inside, she locked the door and went to look at herself in the mirror only to discover that there were none. That made sense; if she looked like the man who lived here, she wouldn't want to be reminded of that fact either. So she dug into her pack and took out the compact mirror she used to put on makeup. No surprise, her face was as scratched as her body and her hair had dirt and twigs in it.

She was going to regret not cleaning up last night, but she had spent all of her energy in that desperate dash through the woods and had simply collapsed the couch as soon as she was inside. However, she had to start somewhere so she turned on the shower and finally shed the dress she was wearing.

That once beautiful dress was now fit for rags, but Alia felt no regret as she threw it in the trash. She wanted to forget her time in the _Dragon's Lair _as fast as possible.

Stepping into the shower, she let the warm water send the top layer of dried blood and dirt down the drain, ignoring how the water caused some of her cuts to sting. The water had long turned cold by the time she finished scrubbing.

Raiding the medicine cabinet, she found some ointment to clean her cuts and then bandaged her feet. Finally, she changed into clean clothes and comfortable sandals. Her feet still hurt and she wouldn't be running for a couple days, but she could walk without a limp so she considered that progress.

It was like she was almost human again.

Alia stepped out into the open room and found her scarred savior standing over the stove, making breakfast. He didn't even look at her as he gestured with a spatula. "The door is that way," he said.

She knew better than to protest, but she was not going to just walk out that door. She walked up to one of the windows and carefully parted the curtain to look outside. The yard and the gardens appeared clear, but as she scanned the woods she spotted a flash of red. She couldn't tell what it was from this distance but she wasn't going to take any chances. "They're still out there!"

"Not my problem," Leon stated.

Alia turned toward her rude rescuer. She wanted to yell at him, but she needed his help. She was going to have to play this carefully. "You never told me your name."

"It's not important."

She remained firm. "I think it is."

"Fine, if it gets you out of my hair. Leon Forrest."

Choosing her words very carefully, Alia said, "Well, Leon, you are a part of this now. If they discover me here or find out that you hid me, they will kill you too. They can't risk that I told you about…" Alia paused. Despite her threat, she wouldn't put Leon in even more danger than he already was by telling him what she saw.

Leon looked furious as he stormed over and looked out the window. However, it didn't take long before he spotted their watchers. "As soon as they are gone, so are you."

"Understood."

It was weird. Leon was rude, antisocial, and appeared to have a temper that he was in constant danger of losing. Yet, she felt like she understood him. After all, he had made it abundantly clear that he wanted nothing more than to get her out of his hair. Because his motives were clear, she felt safer at Leon's home than she had in a long time. At least for now.

* * *

The media was already there by the time Chin pulled up to the scene. He knew that Steve would not be happy so he made sure to quickly push past the bystanders and join the other detectives in the alley.

The body lay next to the dumpster and was already draped with a sheet. Steve preferred to not hide the body when he looked over a scene so that meant the sheet was for the media. Walking toward the body, Chin caught the tail end of Doc Bergman's report. "…the bullet appears to have come from a .45. From the powder burns on his forehead, I would say that he was shot execution style."

"Right," Steve mused, "and later dumped here."

"How can you be sure?" Chin asked.

"Look at the body."

Chin knelt down and lifted the sheet. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this. Bennett was stripped naked. He was positioned flat on his back, but his hands were resting on his stomach, holding his wallet.

"Money in the wallet?"

"Yes," Steve said. "This is a message. The Dragon wanted us to know that this was no mugging."

Danny spoke up, "But why kill him? If Bennett is dead, he can't pay his debts."

"There was no money left, Danno. This was the Dragon's way of salvaging what he could while making it known that no one is untouchable."

"What do we do now, Steve?" Ben asked.

"Retrace our State Senator's steps. After he shook his tail, he went somewhere. Wherever he went, I suspect that was where he was killed. Ben, assist Che and finish up here. Danno, get the press out of here so we can move the body. Chin, interview the officers who were watching Bennett. We need to identify an area to search. If anyone needs me, I'll be debriefing the Governor."

* * *

_Alia was content as she lay in the sand, listening to the waves hit the shore and the songs of birds announcing the start of a new day. She was at peace. How long had it been since she had felt so content?_

"_Morning, beautiful." _

_Alia smiled as she looked up at the only man she would ever love. "Good morning, Rono."_

_With a grin, Rono pulled her to feet and twirled her around as they began to dance and run down the beach, leaving only footprints in their wake. When they stopped to catch their breath, all Alia could think about was how safe and secure she felt with Rono's strong arms wrapped around her. But when Rono leaned in to kiss her, that illusion shattered._

_A shot rang out through the air and before she could even cry out, her love fell to the ground – blood staining his shirt._

"_No! No!" she screamed as she clutched the fallen body. It was happening again. Her husband was dying before her eyes. She was forced to watch helplessly as his life left his body._

_As she wept, Rono's corpse changed and suddenly, Alia was holding the body of Father Jack. The priest's eyes spoke of judgment as he clutched the crucifix on his chest. "You told me he had changed, Alia. You told me he had left his father."_

_Before she could answer, the body changed again and this time she was clutching the burned and barely distinguishable body of her best friend. Pam's eyes opened and bore into her friend's soul. "Do you forgive him, Alia? Do you forgive the man who did this to me?" _

"_Yes!" she screamed. "Yes!"_

Alia woke with a start, her throat raw from screaming. She was still on the couch; she was still hiding with a stranger whom she barely knew. It had just been a nightmare. However, that knowledge failed to stop the tears that flowed as she sobbed into pillow, her whole body shaking. "I forgive him! I forgive him! I forgive him!" As she continued to answer Pam's final question, those words became a mantra. She had to believe them. She had to.

Leon cracked open bedroom door and stood there, debating whether to step into the main room. That blasted female had awakened him with her screams. He couldn't believe that he had been foolish enough to let her stay another night. He wanted to yell at her, to tell her to be quiet or leave.

But something stopped him. It was clear that Alia was a woman full of pain. However, she was also in trouble and if he kicked her out, there was a good chance that she would end up hurt or worse. Damn that girl. He refused to be responsible for her death.

Cursing his soft will, he told himself that it was better to not get involved. He had already helped her out more than he should have. Besides, no one would want to wake up from one nightmare only to look at the face of another.

The sooner he got rid of this girl, the better.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Breaking Point**

By day three of their unplanned cohabitation, Alia and Leon had worked out a mutual living arrangement. They did not speak. Leon would spend most of the day tending to his roses, looking for signs that their watchers had moved on. Alia would stay inside with the drapes drawn tight. She cleaned and cooked a little to pass the time, but mostly she just sat, trying to lose herself in memories of better days.

However, after she finished washing the breakfast dishes, she knew that she needed to do something, anything, to keep herself busy. It was bad enough that nightmares continued to haunt her at night, but now in the quiet moments, she was beginning to hear Pam's final words, her last question to her. Alia couldn't deal with that right now.

Looking around the open living room with a determined eye, she spotted a dusty curio cabinet that was shoved into a corner. That would have to be the place to start. Even though the dust was caked on the top, it wasn't that difficult to clean. Though she did wonder why Leon kept this old thing. It was taking up a lot of space for something that was never opened nor used.

Curiosity got the best of her and after checking that Leon was still hard at work outside, she opened the cabinet doors. As Alia looked at the full shelves, it was like she was looking into a different world. The owner of the contents of this cabinet couldn't be the same man who lived in this house.

She spotted numerous trophies. Most were for football, though she spotted a few for track as well. She used a cloth to wipe off the dust, and there was no mistaking the name on the bottom of each award; these were Leon's trophies. He must have been some athlete.

Continuing her search, Alia began to open drawers, finding piles of newspaper articles in one and old uniforms in the other. She recognized the jersey on top. No one who lived in Hawaii would fail to recognize tell-tale green 'H' of the Rainbow Warriors.

Thoroughly intrigued, she began leafing through the newspapers and learned that Leon hadn't just been a member of the Rainbow Warriors, he had been a star cornerback! And from his picture, a handsome one as well.

After a glowing write-up of how Leon intercepted a ball for the winning play against their greatest rivals, the articles came to an abrupt halt. Alia began searching through the other drawers, but this pile was it. There were no other articles. That must have been his last game.

Why did the articles stop? It looked like Leon's career had been suddenly cut short. Plus, she doubted that a gifted and committed player, like Leon appeared to have been, would have just suddenly quit playing for no reason. No, he must have been in an accident; most likely whatever event had given him those hideous scars. But what could have caused them? A car crash? A fire? She didn't know; those scars weren't like any she had ever seen before.

Alia was carefully putting the newspaper clippings away when she heard the door to the cottage open. "What do you think you are doing?" a loud and angry voice screamed from across the room.

Startled, she jumped back, the papers scattering all over the floor. Leon looked furious as he stormed towards her. "How dare you go through my things?"

Scared, Alia backed away. "Leave me alone!"

"Leave you alone?" Leon roared. "I didn't ask for you to come into my life! You're the one who barged in here like a damsel in distress, demanding that I save you. Well, I'm no prince charming and I have had enough of your sob story, your nightmares and your troubles. So get _out_ and never bother me again!"

Alia didn't wait to be told twice. Without a second thought, she dashed through the still open door and out into the woods. She ran until she could no longer see the house and the roses. Until she could longer hear the raging temper of the beast.

When she doubled over in order to catch her breath, Alia realized that she was in serious trouble. In her need to get away from Leon as fast as humanly possible, she had left the cottage with nothing more than the clothes on her back. Her backpack and all her money were still at Leon's. And she couldn't go back. Leon had made that abundantly clear. He had looked furious. He had sounded mad enough to kill.

But why? All she had done was look at some old newspaper articles. She thought that he would have been proud of his achievements. Look at what he had accomplished!

Unless, of course he didn't want to remember. Perhaps remembering was too painful.

Alia gasped. _Leon is just like me. But instead of running from his old life, he is determined to hide from it._ And her presence, her desire to learn more about the man she had thought was her protector had reopened old wounds. No wonder he had resented her presence from day one.

However, figuring out part of the mystery that was Leon Forrest didn't solve her biggest problem. She was alone. She had no money or supplies and she didn't have any idea where she was. There were powerful men who wanted her dead. And just like Leon, she wasn't ready to go back to her former life.

She wasn't ready to stop to running. Because running was what kept her sane. Running was what kept the pain of Rono's death from consuming her. Because when she was running she couldn't think, she couldn't see him die.

Well, she couldn't go back so that meant she had to keep moving forward. She had survived so far. She would just have to find another way.

Lifting her head high, Alia picked a direction and started walking. But she only got a few steps before a man she had only seen once before in her life jogged into the clearing. She screamed in terror as she looked into the cold, hard eyes of a murderer. She had watched him shoot a helpless man at the _Lair_ and she had no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to do the same to her.

She was dead. And this time there was no escape.

* * *

Chin sighed as he studied the board in front of him. Getting nowhere with written reports, he had decided to try to visualize it all on a map in an attempt to narrow down the area in which Bennett had disappeared, and most likely, was murdered. First he marked down the locations where the body was found, where Bennett's tail had lost him, and where an officer had picked up the car again, but without Bennett in it. That left him with half of Pearl City to cover and a search which was not at all feasible.

So then he went through the painstaking work of contacting every officer on duty in Pearl City that night and noting their locations during the interval in which they had lost the car. While the results had not given him a blinking arrow that said look here, they had managed to narrow down the search area to a seven block radius. He could work with that.

The next step would be to check out the buildings in the area. The vast majority would be legitimate businesses or homes, but one would be a cover for the most prestigious casino in Hawaii. Thank goodness he had access to HPD's manpower, because this was going to take awhile.

The door to the office swung open with a bang and Chin looked up to see Ben hurry inside. "I got something," he announced as he headed toward Steve's office.

Chin and Duke followed Ben and saw McGarrett pouring through Bennett's financial statements once again in search of an elusive clue. The lead detective looked up at Ben as the detective approached, "What've you got?"

"Word on the street is that the Dragon's goons are out in force looking for a girl."

"A witness?" Duke asked.

"I think so. They're keeping this in-house, no descriptions circulating. But whoever she is, the Dragon wants her found and soon."

Steve stood. "Then we need to find her first."

"But, Steve," Chin asked, "without a description or a name, how can we find her?"

Steve held out a hand for silence and hit a button on his phone. "Jenny, I need you to set-up a press conference in two hours. I will have new information about the Bennett case."

"_On it, boss."_

"Thanks, love." Then Steve looked at his questioning detectives. "We can't find her. But we will make her a public offer of protection and hope that she will come to us. She has to know that on her own, she's dead."

Chin thought that Steve's reasoning made sense. He just hoped that whoever this girl was, she was wise enough to accept their aid. He didn't want to wake up to tomorrow to another unsolvable murder.

* * *

Leon was shaking with rage as he looked at the remains of his former life. Who was that girl to come in here and upset his life? To reopen wounds that he had spent years trying to forget. Why hadn't he insisted that she either call the cops or leave? He should have never let her spend the night. She was a woman, she had thorns and, like all women, she had hurt him in the end.

Leon knelt and began to pick up the scattered newspapers. He tried to not look at them, to think about the past they dutifully recounted, but a cover picture of him catching the interception that won the Fresno game caught his eye. The lead had simply read, _Hawaii's Hero._

A hero. They had called him that and more. That had been his ultimate moment of triumph. The moment when he had achieved everything that he had ever wanted. The moment he had become a star. But that moment had been all too short. For that game was the last game he had played before his whole world had fallen apart…

A loud womanish scream filled the air.

Leon froze. The girl was in trouble – again. As he looked down at paper in his hand, he realized that his former self, the one they called a hero, wouldn't have lifted a finger to save her. That man would have insisted upon her offer to share his bed as a condition for his help.

_Damn it._ Leon didn't know what sort of man he was now. But he did know one thing: he was no longer the man in the paper. He had changed. And even though he wasn't sure why, he couldn't just let her die.

So without another thought, Leon sprinted into the trees, heading as fast as he could in the direction he had heard the scream. He was probably going to show up too late.

But he had to try. He would truly be a monster if he didn't.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Can't Stop Running **

"Who did you tell?" a voice screamed in her ear.

Alia closed her eyes and gritted her teeth against the pain. The Dragon's goon had forced her to her knees and was twisting her right arm behind her back. Tears appeared in her eyes. "No one!" she cried. "I told no one."

The goon twisted harder. "Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not!" she declared. She had to make him believe her. "I swear that I didn't tell anybody but Michael. Let me go, please. I won't tell anyone." She was babbling, begging. A part of her brain registered that she must look pathetic. Where was the stoic girl who had remained calm when Rono had held a gun to her head? But then, she had never believed that her husband would shoot her. He loved her; he never would have killed her. This goon, he wouldn't hesitate.

"What about that freak you shacked up with?"

"He's knows nothing. Please, don't kill him too!"

"And your cop father?"

Alia froze. If they knew who her father was, they would never let her go. They couldn't risk that she would tell. She was dead. However, instead of paralyzing her, that knowledge gave her courage. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to die begging. She raised her eyes to meet those of her would be killer in defiance. She wouldn't give him an answer. Let the Dragon live in uncertainty.

A loud crack filled the air.

Alia flinched but she could only watch in shock as the goon fell to the ground. Leon stood over him with a stick in his hand. He had saved her. Again.

Leon knelt down and studied her attacker, grabbing his gun and tossing it into the nearby pile of leaves. "He's out cold."

Trembling as she rose to her feet, Alia said, "You came after me."

Leon looked away. "Don't expect it to become a habit."

Alia smiled gently. "You are a good man, Leon Forrest. You just don't want to admit it." Then looking down at her attacker, she asked, "What do we do about him?"

"Leave him. He'll live. We have to get you off this island." Leon hesitated. "That is, unless you're ready to call the cops."

She knew that she should call Five-O. They would take her back in an instant and place her into protective custody. But that would mean facing her father. Admitting to him that she had gotten mixed up with criminals and sold her body for a place to stay. She would have to concede that she was still a child who couldn't take care of herself. "No."

Leon didn't question her decision and instead gestured for her to follow him back to the house. As Alia gathered her things, he got his truck and placed several orders of roses in the back. She looked straight ahead as they drove away. She was leaving a whole mess of problems in her wake. But she couldn't face them, not yet. Running was the only thing that kept her sane.

Soon, running would be the only thing she knew how to do.

* * *

Leon drove in silence through the back roads. He should have been happy. He was finally getting rid of Alia. He would take her to Waialua where he would meet up with a customer who drove his boat over from Kauai to buy his roses. The odds were good that he'd agree to take on a passenger. She'd be gone; she'd be safe - maybe. But as he looked over at the young woman sitting next to him, he couldn't help but wonder: did he really want her to go?

Not entirely comfortable with the direction his thoughts were headed, he reached over and turned on the radio.

"_And now we go live to a press conference with the head of Hawaii Five-O, Steve McGarrett."_

Leon reached over to change the channel – he was in the mood for music, not talk – when he felt Alia's hand on his arm pulling it back. What was going on here?

"_Thank you for coming. I would like to announce that we have made progress in the investigation of State Senator Bennett's murder. We have evidence that there was a witness to the murder: a young Chinese woman in her late teens or early twenties. It is imperative that we find her as we have reason to believe that her life is at risk. To this witness, if you are listening, I implore you to contact the police. Five-O can and will protect you. If anyone has information concerning the identity or the whereabouts of this young woman, we ask that you call our tip line. Thank you. I have no further information at this time."_

When the reporters began to recap McGarrett's words, Leon turned off the radio with no protest from his passenger. They drove in silence once more but this time Leon could feel the tension radiating off of Alia. She had clearly been affected by the words they had just heard.

Suddenly the truth dawned on him and he slammed on the brakes and pulled his truck off to the side of the road. "You're the witness!"

Alia looked defiant as she said, "So what if I am?"

Leon was shocked. The fact that she was the witness that the cops and the crooks were looking for changed everything. It meant he could get rid of her and not have to worry that those men would find her again. "It means you have a safe place to go."

"You don't understand. I can't."

Alia was right, he didn't understand. She was making no sense. "They're cops. They aren't going to care about what else you've done as long as they get the guy they want."

The pain on Alia's face was evident, but Leon refused to look away. He wasn't restarting his car until she explained why he shouldn't take the steps that could save her life.

Finally, Alia said softly, "Five-O killed my husband."

Those words opened the floodgates and Alia told him a story that he suspected she had told no one else. It was a story of love and loss, of pain and betrayal. Yet, when she recounted how Five-O had shot her husband while another cop dared Rono to shoot him instead, he couldn't help but think that there was something important that was being left unsaid.

Alia was holding something back, but he didn't blame her. He had held back the truth of why he was scarred for over three years. He had hidden the truth in order to keep from admitting what he knew in the depths in his heart.

The man he had been, though beloved by Hawaii, was not a good man. And he wasn't sure if the man he was today was any better.

No, he wouldn't press Alia to share what she was not ready to share. Instead, in a truck on the roadside, he responded to her willingness to share by recounting what he had never told anyone. He told her a story. His story. The story of a broken man. A man who also knew what it was like to do nothing but run and hide from a world that he was not ready to face.

When the stories were finished, Alia spoke first. "You've changed."

Leon looked away. "I'm not so sure."

Alia was persistent. "Yes, you have. The man you once were wouldn't have taken me in. You wouldn't have come after me when I ran. People change and you changed for the better. I believed that Rono would change, but he never had that chance."

Leon inwardly sighed. She was so certain, so passionate and so wrong. But he couldn't judge her refusal to go to the cops, not after living in denial for so long himself. However, part of him couldn't stop trying. "Alia, I won't tell you what to do. But I believe that someone who truly loves another person would be willing to take a bullet for that person."

"I was willing to die for Rono."

"Yes, but was he willing to die for you? You told me what happened; you were the shield, not him. I dated a lot of girls. I told a lot of girls that I loved them but there wasn't a single girl that I would have been willing to die for."

Leon held up a hand to keep Alia from replying. "You don't have to answer me, but you need to answer that question for yourself."

Then without another word, Leon restarted the car and continued on their drive to Waialua.

* * *

Chin turned off the radio as Steve's statement came to end. That whole situation was out of their hands now. Either the girl would hear and decide to accept their offer of safety or she would not. There was nothing else they could do; they simply didn't have enough information.

But Five-O was not a unit to sit back and wait for the leads to come to them. And that was why he had traveled to Pearl City to meet up with Danny, who had spent the day chasing leads of his own. It didn't take Chin long to spot his friend coming out of a building. He slowed his car as he passed to ensure that Danny saw him. Then, once they made eye contact, Chin drove around the corner and parked.

A few seconds later, Danny joined him in the car. "How's the search going?" Chin asked.

"I've been working my way through the grid you worked up," Danny said as he unfolded a marked up map. That map had been the results of Chin's efforts to locate the general area of the illicit casino. The younger detective then pointed to a symbol he had marked in several locations "I pretended to be a customer and a quick glance around in these stores told me that the inside rooms fit the dimensions of the building, allowing for some storage and office space."

Chin nodded. The casino would need a lot of space. Everything they knew about the Dragon's operation meant that it had to be large and since it catered to the highest of high rollers, it had to be luxurious as well.

Pointing to a second symbol on the map, Danny continued, "These I marked as possibilities. There were whole floors or large rooms that I couldn't access. Then I sent Duke in, who posed as a businessman looking for space to rent. In a couple cases, he was able to see the rooms; for others, he was given the number of the landlord to call. So hopefully we will be able to rule out more of these over the next couple of days."

Glancing over the map, Chin noticed one more symbol that wasn't explained yet. "And this building?"

"Our best possibility; the bottom floor is a dry cleaner's but the top three floors are empty. And when I walked around, there was very muscular janitor hanging out near the steps. I sent Duke in and they gave him a card, but he got a similar vibe. He agrees that there's something fishy going on in there."

"Where's Duke now?"

"Back at the station, digging up every bit of info on that building he can find. I told him I'd look into the last half a dozen buildings on my own."

Wanting to get a glance at the location himself, Chin asked Danny to stay in the car before he exited and walked a block over. The building was big and it was odd that the only space that appeared to be occupied was the dry cleaner's. However, he didn't want to make the owner suspicious by being the third stranger to enter the shop in the last couple of hours. So instead, he stopped at the store next door and bought some candy for his children.

Taking one last glance at the building on his way back, Chin was in complete agreement with Danny and Duke. They definitely needed a closer look at that building. It was still a long shot that they had found the casino, but it would be nice if their hard work paid off.

When Chin returned to the car, he noticed his friend returning the car's mike to its cradle on the dashboard. "What is it, Danny?"

"Akane Sito's been murdered."

Chin mused that over for a second. Sito was someone that they strongly suspected was involved in the Dragon's operation. Could the Dragon be tying up loose ends? Did Sito know something that threatened the operation? "How? Where?'

"Bullet to the brain. His body was found wrapped in a plastic tarp in a rose garden. The property belongs to one Leon Forrest. Steve's tied up in Honolulu and wants us to investigate."

Jumping back into the driver's seat, Chin said, "Let's go." Maybe this murder would finally give them the break they desperately needed.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: The Beast**

When Chin parked the car on Forrest's property, he was pleased to see that Detective Frank Kamana of HPD had things well in hand. Kamana gave a few orders to the HPD officers guarding the perimeter before giving the two Five-O detectives a slight smile as they approached the scene. "Glad you're here. This is a weird one."

"Who discovered the body?" Danny asked.

"Got an anonymous tip," Frank answered while he led them over to Sito.

Chin moved carefully to avoid getting pricked by the thorns. The body was lying on a tarp, hidden under some very large rose bushes in the middle of an even bigger garden. "Definitely strange. This doesn't seem like a place where someone would discover a body out of the blue and just phone it in."

Danny knelt down by the body. "We'll have to see what Doc says, but it looks like he was shot execution style. And he's got a nasty bump on his head, too. Are there any connections with Forrest and organized crime?"

"None that we know of. I asked and he's got a couple disorderly conduct charges and a DUI on his record. But those are from years ago. He's gone quiet ever since his accident."

"Accident?" Chin asked.

"Leon Forrest. You've never heard of him?"

Chin looked over at Danny who just shrugged.

Frank sighed and explained, "1970 season. Rainbow Warriors vs. the Bull Dogs. Things are looking bleak for the home team when Forrest intercepts the ball and runs sixty yards for the winning touchdown."

Recognition of the past event shone in Danny's eyes. "I remember that game. And if I remember correctly, it was the last game Forrest ever played."

"There was an accident; he burned his face or something. It was a shame. We all thought for sure he was going to be something in big leagues, too."

Not a big follower of college football, Chin tried to get the conversation back onto their dead body. "So how did a former college football star end up with the body of one of the Dragon's hit men in his garden?"

"Fertilizer," Danny deadpanned. Then turning serious, he added, "Maybe he went down a dark path when his playing days ended. Couldn't handle life without football. I've seen it happen to others. But we won't get anywhere just speculating. We should spread out and see what we can find."

Chin let Danny take the house and he pulled on some gloves to examine the exterior. Experience led him to the garbage cans. If Forrest was the murderer and had thought hiding the body in the garden was sufficient then perhaps he was also naïve enough to think throwing away evidence would also do the trick. It didn't take long before he was proven right.

Looking up, Chin spotted Che coming out of the house and waved him over.

"Got something?"

"Blood. You find anything?"

Che nodded. "There was someone else living in that house. Different hair in the bathroom, two sets of fingerprints."

"Another man?" Chin asked as he gestured for a photographer to take a picture.

"No, the hair is a woman's."

Reaching down into the can, he grabbed the bloody cloth then pulled out an expensive but ruined evening gown. "Could be the owner of this."

Bagging the dress, Che said, "I'll have the boys look for more bodies. I hope we aren't dealing with a serial killer."

Chin shuddered at the thought while Danny stepped back outside. "There's no sign in the house that Forrest left on an extended trip. We should move everyone back and catch him when he returns."

* * *

Alia breathed deeply as he stepped off the boat and onto the island of Kauai. She had done it. She had finally done it. She was free. She was away from Oahu. She had left her family. She had escaped the Dragon's men. She was finally free. Or was she?

Kauai. So many things had happened here. It had been Rono's and her playground. The place Rono's plane had taken them to escape it all. The place where they had married. The place where Rono had died. As she glanced around at the familiar surroundings, she was struck by the thought: was Kauai the place where this had all started or the place where it had all ended?

The truth was that she didn't know the answer to that question, but she did know where she had to go to find her answer.

* * *

Free. Leon was free. Free of the girl and her problems. Free to simply go and forget about the world that didn't care one iota about him.

He was tired when he pulled into his driveway. He was so used to living alone that being in such constant contact with another person had exhausted him. But as he stopped the car, he got the sense that something was different. _ Was that a car parked on the other side of his house?_ He stepped out of his truck to find out.

"Freeze!"

"Hands up!"

"Don't move!"

The commands all jumbled together but the sight of police officers with guns drawn surrounding him left Leon with no doubt as to what they wanted him to do. Raising his hands, he tried to figure out what this was about. Had the man who attacked Alia filed assault charges against him?

After frisking him, a detective said, "You can put your hands down. My name is Dan Williams and I'm with Five-O. Are you Leon Forrest?"

Leon met the detective's eye and was surprised to see that he didn't react to his scars. "Yes."

"Is this your home?"

"Yes."

"When did you leave?"

He didn't like Williams's tone. He didn't have to put up with this. "Can I ask what this is about?"

"Murder, Mr. Forrest."

Leon laughed. "You've been listening to children's stories. Don't you know that they tell tall tales?"

Williams remained still. "You are under arrest for the murder of Akane Sito. We found his body on your property."

"What? This must be some sort of joke!"

"The dead body in your garden says otherwise." Then, after cuffing Leon's hands in front of him, Williams said, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"

"Yes…no. Yes, I understand, but, no, I didn't kill anybody. I don't even know who this Sito guy is."

A heavier Chinese man stepped forward and showed him a picture. "Do you recongize this man?"

Leon reacted before he realized that he shouldn't have. Now he was going to have to tell the truth. Or at least a version of the truth. He was going to have to be careful in order to keep his promise to Alia. "I've seen him, but I didn't know his name." He was searching for words; he knew that he must look so guilty to the cops. "I was walking around _my _property when I found this guy tresspassing. I confronted him about it and he attacked me! I knocked him out, but he was alive when I left him. I swear! I didn't kill nobody!"

The two detectives conferred for a moment before Williams asked, "Can you show us where the fight took place?"

Leon nodded. A few minutes later, he found the spot. But Williams made them all stand back and spoke to another cop had had followed them. "Frank, call Che and tell him we need him back out here."

Williams pointed to an area where the undergrowth was clearly disturbed. "You fought there."

"Yes," Leon said. "And when he went for his gun, I hit him with that stick."

"And then you shot him?"

"No! No, I didn't shoot him. I promise you, he was alive when I left. I figured he'd wake up, and leave."

The Chinese detective was exploring off to their left when he called out. "Danny, gun."

Williams pointed. "Is this yours?"

"No, he had it." Then realizing that they would think him a liar when they discovered his prints, he added, "But I touched it. Once that guy was unconscious, I picked up the gun and threw it into the bush."

"And these other prints?"

"Prints?"

"Footprints. Your story just has you and Sito at the scene. I see at least four separate sets of footprints."

"Five," the other detective called out.

"Thanks, Chin. Did you see anyone else?"

Leon inwardly sighed in relief. This was the first bit of good news he had heard since he came home. "No, they must be from whoever came along after and killed him."

Williams stood silently for a few moments, studying the scene. Then, turning back to Leon, he said, "That's quite a story, Mr. Forrest. We'll see what the evidence says. In the meantime, I need you come with us."

After the cops put him in the back seat of squad car, Leon was finally able to think. Someone had set him up. And the only person who could corroborate his story was deathly afraid of the cops finding her. He may have gotten rid of Alia, but she was still making a mess of his life. He should just tell that detective about her. But he couldn't. For some reason, he couldn't betray her trust. For in spite of his best efforts, he cared about her too much.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: His Little Girl**

Chin wasn't sure what made sense any more. The forensic evidence inferred that Leon Forest could be the killer, but nothing in his life suggested any motive or connection to organized crime. Steve and Danny were interrogating him now in Steve's office, but as Chin fingered through his notes, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something important.

Plus, the look on Ben's face as he threw down a pile of paperwork on Chin's desk told the detective that he wasn't alone in his thoughts. "I can't figure it, Chin. Forrest is a loner. Where would he have crossed paths with a man like Sito?"

"Maybe he saw something he shouldn't have and was forced to kill in self defense?" Chin suggested.

"Then why lie and claim that Sito was alive when he left?"

"I don't know, Ben. Hopefully, Steve will figure it out." If there was a connection or if Forrest was being set up, he had to trust that his boss would figure it out.

"Chin," Duke called out as he entered the office. "I have news."

"Please be good."

"It's about the building in Pearl City that Danny had me look into. Seems that while those upper floors are supposed to be for rent, when I pushed with a serious offer, I was told that they were no longer available. I then spoke with some of the officers who work that beat. Seems that it's hard to find a parking spot in that section of town after dark."

"I didn't notice a lot of nightlife in that area," Chin said.

"There isn't any," Ben confirmed. "You think this is our gambling den?"

Duke nodded. "It's the best lead we've got."

"Set up a stakeout with HPD," Chin ordered. That should produce enough evidence to get a warrant to search the building if their hunches were right.

"Will do," Duke said. As he headed out the door, he bumped into Che who was hurrying into the room with a concerned look on his face.

"Whoa, Che," Ben said as he reached out to steady his friend who was in danger of falling on the office floor.

Che shrugged off the help. "I need to talk to Steve."

Overhearing the conversation, Jenny rose from her desk. "I'll get him."

In less than a minute, Jenny returned with the boss at her heels. Steve closed the door behind him and then turned to the forensic examiner. "What've you got?"

Che said, "Both Sito's and Forrest's prints were on the gun. And that gun killed both Mr. Sito and State Senator Bennett."

Ben's eyes grew large; that was not what they had expected to hear. "Are you suggesting that Forrest killed Bennett?"

Chin shook his head. It made little sense that Forrest was Sito's killer. It made even less sense that he was Bennett's. "Maybe Sito knew too much about Bennett's murder and had to be taken out."

"But why pin it on Forrest?" Steve asked. That confirmed to Chin that Forrest must still be proclaiming his innocence and that his boss was considering the possibility that he was speaking the truth.

"His neighbors call him the _holoholona_, the beast," Chin said. "Maybe they thought we'd believe the stories."

"That isn't all; I got a match on the second set of prints from the house." Che paused, clearly struggling to find the right words to say. That was odd; normally, the forensic scientist got straight to the point. "And I also confirmed that the blood on the dress we found matches the blood type of the owner of those prints."

When Che paused again, Steve pressed, "I need the name, Che."

Grief flickered on the kindly man's face as his eyes met Chin's. "Alia Kelly," Che said softly.

In that moment, every doubt, every misgiving that Chin had about Forrest being a murderer disappeared and all that the father could think of was his little girl, the bloody dress and the body in the garden. Alia couldn't be dead. She just couldn't.

Part of Chin's mind heard the others' cries as he turned on his heel and stormed into the office. He immediately focused in on the young scarred monster sitting in one of the chairs. "Where is she?" he screamed. "Where is Alia? Where is my daughter?"

Before he could reach Forrest, Danny wrapped an arm around his torso and pulled him back. But Chin didn't care. He kept fighting. He kept pushing forward. He barely noticed his own tears. "Did you kill her? Did you kill my baby girl?"

Forrest was stunned. "Alia Vidalgo is your daughter?"

Chin winced on hearing _that name_ paired with his little girl's. More hands grabbed him and slowly pushed him back. They were going to make him leave. But he couldn't. Not before he knew the truth. "We found her blood. We found her dress. Tell me what happened, please!"

"Ben, Danno, get him out of here," Steve snapped.

Steve's voice cut through his anger and pain and Chin realized that his boss was furious. And not at Forrest. Steve had warned him not to go after a suspect ever again after the incident with Bertie. He had just messed up again. And the worst part was that he had just ruined his chance of ever talking to Forrest. He would have to wait for the others to find out the truth.

The next several minutes were a haze as Chin was led to a chair and a steaming cup of tea was placed in his hands. He was aware of Danny's and Ben's presence, of Jenny's worried gaze, of the gloomy look on Che's face as he buried his head in his notes.

Finally, Chin spoke, his voice weak, "What do I tell Lin? That our daughter was murdered…by some monster?"

"We don't know that," Ben said quickly, too quickly.

Danny placed a hand on his friend's shaking shoulder. "Steve will get the truth out of Forrest."

Looking over at the forensic scientist, Chin asked, "How much blood?"

Che looked up. "I don't understand."

"How much blood was on her dress? Was the amount survivable?"

It was clear that Che wasn't sure what to say but at a nod from Danny, he answered, "Not a fatal amount. Not even close."

That should have given him hope. But all that told him was that Alia wasn't murdered with the dress on. He could have taken it off her. She could have been raped…

_Holy Mary, Mother of God, you know what it is like to have a child in danger. Watch over my daughter. Protect her. Intercede with your Son, on her behalf. Help us in our hour of need. Amen._

With his head bowed in prayer, his friends grew silent. But the wait, the longest wait of his life, left him with nothing to do but think. Think of all those moments he'd spent with his little girl.

_Chin was amazed at the bundle in his arms. His daughter was tiny, so tiny. He had thought Tim was small when he was born, but he had been a giant compared to his little girl. His little Alia. _

But children never remained little for long.

"_Daddy! Tell me a story, Daddy." _

_All the weariness from a long day of work faded as he lifted his growing girl into his arms and kissed his pregnant wife hello. "Which story should I tell?"_

"_The princess story."_

_Chin smiled. This was the story they had made up together. The story about a princess named Alia who explored the world and befriended dragons and discovered buried treasure. "Once upon a time, Princess Alia…"_

His daughter had always liked to make her own stories.

_Chin had feared that he would burst with pride as he watched his daughter cross that stage. She held herself well as she shook hands with adults and accepted a scholarship to one of the most prestigious private schools in Hawaii. _

Where had that bright young woman gone?

"_You don't understand me!_

_Chin suppressed his anger as Alia slammed a door in his face. He had been previously unaware that forbidding his daughter from attending a boy-girl sleepover made him a horrible father. Teenagers!_

If only Alia had realized that even in his most disappointed moments, he had never stopped loving her.

_Alia was shaking, weeping as he pulled her into his arms. Her husband's body still warm on the ground beside them. He had never felt more torn as a father; he was both angry and relieved, his mind was full of punishments and forgiveness, he held her, full of disappointment and full of love. At least she was safe. Chin knew that he would face the consequences of this day for a long time. But for now, Alia was safe and that was all that mattered._

What he would give now to know that his daughter was safe. To know that his baby girl was alive. He should call Lin. But what would he say? Was it wrong, even though he was surrounded by friends, to not want to have to wait alone?

The door to Steve's office opened. With a jerk of his head, the boss gestured for Ben to go watch Forrest. Then, pulling up another chair, he sat beside Chin. "Alia is our witness in the Bennett case."

"What?" Chin couldn't believe his ears. "How?"

"Her brother-in-law got her the job."

Curse the bureaucratic wheels of justice that had kept Koa Vidalgo out of prison. But this was the worst sort of news. Even if Alia was alive, the Dragon would stop at nothing until she was dead.

"She told the wrong person what she saw and he took her out to the country and tried to kill her. Somehow, she escaped and Forrest found her hiding in his garden. He said he didn't want to, but he took her in. She refused to let him call the cops."

Chin thought that he was hurting as much as a father could hurt, but knowing that his daughter had refused to call for help because it would have brought her into contact with him, was like a knife to his heart. She had decided that it was better to die than to see her family again.

"Sito found Alia and was trying to get her to talk when Forrest knocked him out and tossed his gun aside."

"Do you believe him?"

"So far, yes. He knows too many details for this to be made up."

"But you didn't believe everything Forrest said?"

"No. He claims that he dropped your daughter off at Waialua. She intended to get off the island but he says that he doesn't know where she went."

Chin nodded. "And you don't believe him."

"Forrest knows. He's still trying to cover for her."

Alia was so close, but still so far away. He had to find her. "Let me talk to him."

Steve looked sympathetic as he said, "Chin, I can't let you do that."

"Steve, I know that you don't trust me right now. But I have to do this. If he knows more than what he is telling, then he is holding back because Alia told him about me. About what happened. And I'm the only person who's going to be able to convince him that he needs to talk to save Alia's life."

His boss had no right to grant him this request. He hadn't earned it, he didn't deserve it, but he needed it. "Steve, you have to let me do this."

Steve was silent and the Chinese detective figured that his boss was just trying to figure out a gentle way to say no. But then Steve gave in. "If you raise your voice once, you're done."

"I understand." He couldn't ruin this chance. Not now. His daughter's life was at stake.

When Steve and Danny escorted him back into the office, Danny grabbed a chair and placed it a good distance from the suspect. The message was clear. They were giving him this interrogation, but they didn't trust him not to lose it again. Chin didn't blame them. It took all of his willpower to remain calm and to keep his voice steady.

"Mr. Forrest, I understand that you believe you are protecting my daughter. Did she tell you about her husband Rono?"

Forrest nodded.

"Then you know that she holds me responsible for her husband's death. And the truth is that I am. But I did what I did to save her life. Because no matter what happened then or has happened since, Alia is still my daughter. I love her. And I will do whatever it takes to ensure that she is safe.

"The man you fought with, whose body we found in your garden. He is part of a very dangerous criminal organization and if they find my daughter, they will kill her. They won't care if she left the island. They won't care if she made it to the mainland. That's no barrier for men like this. They will find her and they will kill her. That is, unless you tell me where Alia went."

Chin's voice cracked as he fought back tears. "Please, I'm asking you as a father. If you care for my daughter at all, if you want to protect her, please help me save my daughter's life."

There, that was it. He had said his piece. It was time for Forrest to say his.

The young man, younger than he looked, took one deep breath and said, "Kauai. She took a boat to Kauai. But I don't know where she went from there."

Fear settled in the pit of Chin's stomach. They were going to have to move fast. "I know where she is. And if his men talk to Koa Vidalgo, the Dragon will know, too."


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: Til Death Do We Part**

For several minutes, all Alia could do was stand still and stare. She was back. And as she looked around the Makani Air Church and surrounding camp, it was if everything and nothing had changed.

There was the white church with red hibiscus flowers growing all around. There were the cabins and _the _cabin – the one in which she had spent her one and only night of married life. There was Rono's plane – still sitting on the runway, waiting for its owner to return. And there in the grass was a cross with flowers and other memorials at its foot.

Slowly, Alia moved toward that cross. Each step was painful. For each step brought back memories she wished she could forget. This place was not and could no longer be the sanctuary it once was.

Sinking to the ground, she reached out a hand to touch the rough wood. The outpouring of love for the priest affected her deeply. Father Jack was a good man. A good priest. He had taken a bullet for her. He had died for her. And he had barely even known her.

A man was dead because of her.

Father Jack wouldn't have married them without her promise that Rono had changed, without her convincing him that Rono had left his father. But Rono had; he had promised her that. Five-O had just never given him time to prove it. Except…

Expect would a changed man have shot a priest in cold blood?

Alia shook her head. She didn't like the direction her thoughts were headed. She had to believe that Rono had changed, had wanted to change, would have changed. If she didn't, then what did that make her? The wife of a monster?

"_Someone who truly loves another person would be willing to take a bullet for that person."_

Leon's words came back to her in a rush. She remembered those panicked moments after Koa had left the cabin when Rono had desperately tried to come up with a plan to get them safely away. She had been in shock. Hearing her husband admit that he killed Pam had hurt. But she had still loved him. So when he proposed that she play the human shield so they could escape in the plane, she hadn't said a word. She had been so willing to die to save her love that she had never even considered whether Rono would have done the same for her.

"_I told a lot of girls that I loved them but there wasn't a single girl that I would have been willing to die for."_

Father Jack, not Rono, had taken a bullet for her. Her father had almost suffered the same fate. Father Jack, who barely even knew her, had loved her. Loved her not because anything she had done, but because of what he was called to do: to love all of God's children.

Alia rose and began to step back. What was she doing? This wasn't helping. She had come back to find peace, but all she was finding was more grief. More regrets. More guilt.

She needed time. Space. A place to clear her head. As she looked around, the church beckoned, and with a slow uncertain stride, she stepped inside. The church was empty but the presence of something other lingered in the flickering of candlelight.

As she stood in that church, memories of the wedding came flooding back. Of her hands in Rono's, of the vows, the promises they had made to each other. To be with each other for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health. Til death do we part…

How could have she had known that she was going to experience a lifetime of the highs and lows of marriage in one short day? Yet, as she twisted the ring on her finger, she knew that one thing was true. Her husband was dead; death had come, but they had not yet parted. Alia was still as much a part of Rono now as she was the day she had made that vow. Til death do we part…

Death had come, but they still hadn't parted.

Here she was, still trying to be faithful to her vows when Rono … _Why was this so hard to admit? …_when Rono had broken his long before he had died. He had broken them with his lies to her and to himself. He never wanted to change, just to make everyone believe that he had. And in the moment when he should have put his new wife's needs before his own, he had held a gun to her head and made her father believe that he would shoot.

God, he would have killed her if given the choice between his life and hers. Because every time he'd been offered that choice before he died, he had chosen to kill someone else to safe his own skin. How had she not seen that? How had she not listened to Pam's final words, her father's warnings, Father Jack's concerns?

Rono lied. He lied to everyone and anyone he met. And he had lied to her. The question was, how much of the man she knew was the real Rono and how much was the lie? Did it even matter?

Alia lifted her chin and began a slow and steady march toward the altar. The last time she had taken this trip, she had changed her life forever. She had become a married woman. This trip down the aisle would be no different. It was time for her life to change once again. Til death do we part. Well, death had come and it was time that they parted.

Removing the ring from her finger, Alia clasped it in her hand. Raising that hand to her lips, she kissed the back of her hand and then laid the ring down on the altar. "Goodbye, Rono."

Then, without another word, she turned and walked out of the church and back into her life.

* * *

Alia woke with a smile and shook the sand from her hair. She had just lain down on the beach to relax and set her worries aside for a few moments. But it wasn't long before the waves had lulled her into the most peaceful sleep she had had in a long time.

Sitting up, Alia glanced at the sun and figured it to be late afternoon. She had slept for several hours. She rose and stretched. She had a good hike ahead of her to reach the closest town. Once there, she would decide what to do next.

A flicker of movement caught her eye. Someone – a man, by the looks of it – was poking around Rono's plane.

Had they found her? No, that wasn't possible. She told no one where she was going. It must be a parishioner stopping by to pay his respects to Father Jack, now curious about the plane.

However, she would still be careful. She was quiet as she tiptoed closer. But when he saw the man's face, she couldn't help but smile. "Koa!" she called out in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Koa turned as a second man stepped out from behind the closest cabin. "Looking for you."

Alia's heart sank as she met the gaze of Michael Ryder. She should have been shocked but she wasn't. She should have known. Koa had called him a friend. She should have expected her brother-in-law to betray her again. After all, he had turned in his own brother – a move that had kept him out of jail.

This was it. It seemed fitting that she die in the same place as her husband. It seemed that they hadn't parted after all. But she would remain calm. She was no longer the scared, desperate, easy girl that Michael thought she was. She had made peace with her life. If she was going to die, it was going to be with her head held high.

"So, Michael, what happens now?"


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: The Stand-Off**

"Alia!"

Michael's answer was cut off by a shout. Alia turned toward the voice and her jaw dropped. What was _Leon _doing here? And why was he running _toward _this dangerous situation? He didn't belong here. He shouldn't even know where _here_ was. This didn't make any sense, unless… No, that couldn't be. But as she looked at Leon's concerned face, she knew that there was no other probable explanation. Five-O was here. Her father was here. And for the first time in a long time, that news didn't fill her with dread.

Just like McGarrett had sent in Koa all those weeks ago to feel out the situation, it appeared that he had sent Leon in first to find her, unsure of how'd she react. But she wondered if McGarrett realized that Michael and Koa were here. She doubted it, considering that the plane hid them quite well from the trees and bushes across the yard where she suspected that Five-O was hiding.

"Halt!" Michael ordered as he turned and drew his gun. "Why aren't you in jail?"

Leon froze and held out his hands. "The cops aren't stupid. Just because you dumped a body in my yard, that doesn't make me guilty."

Koa gasped. It appeared that he had not signed up for this.

Leon took a step forward. "Let her go and nobody has to get hurt."

Michael switched off the safety. "Not a chance."

All her fear and worry came rushing back as Alia backed up against the plane. What was Leon doing? He was going to get himself killed!

"_Someone who truly loves another person would be willing to take a bullet for that person."_

Leon was prepared to die to save her.

"_I told a lot of girls that I loved them but there wasn't a single girl that I would have been willing to die for."_

Somehow, for some inexplicable reason, Leon had fallen in love with her.

Alia couldn't let him die too.

Suddenly, Rono's plane gave her an idea. She might not be able to save her own life, but she was going to save Leon's. No one else was ever going to die for her.

With courage that she never knew she possessed, she swiftly turned and opened the plane door, climbing into pilot's seat before anyone could react.

Once she was seated, a hand grabbed her wrist and Michael said, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Getting us out of this mess," she declared with more confidence than she felt.

Raising his gun, her adversary growled, "Trying to run, more like it."

"I'd put that away if I were you."

"Give me one good reason why I should do what you say."

Alia smiled, she was in control. She had to be; the instant she lost control she would be dead and Leon too. "How do think Leon got here? He had help, most likely from my father. And I know my father, he's here and he brought Five-O with him."

"She's right," Leon said. "They're here."

Koa cursed while Michael ducked behind the open plane door, his eyes scanning the beach. It didn't take long before he spotted someone prowling around the tree line.

"You can fly this thing?"

Alia looked her adversary straight in the eye and said, "Yes. And I will fly all of us to the mainland, but on one condition: you let me walk away. Your life for mine."

Michael looked skeptical, but Koa was convinced. "Rono must have taught her."

Not waiting for an answer, she reached over and flipped several switches. With a sputter and a whir, the engines roared to life, causing Michael to shout, "Hey, I didn't say yes, yet!"

Alia shrugged. "This plane isn't going anywhere until the engines power up, so decide quickly. Because, when it's ready, I'm leaving."

Then turning her head so that her eyes met Leon's, she ordered in a cold voice, "Leave, Leon, you never should have come."

The hurt on Leon's face was evident, but he turned and jogged toward where she could just catch the glimpse of someone hiding. She felt a twinge of guilt for hurting her friend, but she needed him gone if she was going to get both of them out of this alive.

Turning her attention back to the instruments in front of her, she took a deep breath. She had watched Rono fly this plane countless times, but the truth was she barely knew what she was doing. But she didn't have to. She wasn't going to sit back and wait for her father or for Leon to save her. It might not work, but it was time that she started taking charge of her own destiny.

So as soon as she saw Michael holster his gun and put his hand on the plane to climb up, she made her move.

Diving to the right, she opened the passenger door and rolled out onto other side of the runway. As soon as her feet hit the pavement, she bolted. She sprinted as fast as she could toward the beach. She wanted as much distance possible between her and that plane when Five-O moved in.

The crack of a gunshot made her fling herself down on the sand. She buried her head in her arms, trying to block out the shouts and sounds of the fight behind her. She tried not to think about who was winning, losing and dying – all because of her.

The noises finally began to fade and Alia slowly raised her head and spotted a well-worn and scuffed pair of dress shoes walking towards her. She knew those shoes. They stopped and a hand appeared. She knew every line, callus and scar that belonged to that hand.

Her running days were over. Placing her smaller hand in the larger one, Alia let her father pull her to her feet.

"Are you hurt?"

Her father's voice sounded stiff, formal and careful. He was trying so hard to keep it together but his eyes betrayed the pain, the hurt and his relief at seeing her there.

"I'm fine." Her voice was just as stiff as her father's. She nodded her head toward the plane and the cops that swarmed around it. "And them?"

"Forrest's fine. Koa surrendered. The man with him took a hit in the shoulder but he'll live. No one else was injured."

That was good. She was glad no one else was wounded or killed on her account. But she had now run out of safe things to say. And the silence from her father told her that he was in the same boat. It appeared that they no longer knew how to talk to one another. She started fiddling with her hands, trying to figure where to go from here.

Her father's eyes flickered down to the movement. "You aren't wearing the ring."

Of course her father noticed. How could he not? He must be hoping that this was a sign that she was ready to move on. And the truth was that she wanted it to be. Alia was ready to move on, but her father deserved the truth. "I still love him, Daddy."

"I know."

"But Rono never was the man I thought he was. So why do I still love him?"

"Alia," Chin said, his voice gentle and full of love, "when you love someone with all your heart, it doesn't matter what they do or how far away from you they go; you never stop loving them."

Alia met her father's eyes and realized that he was no longer talking about Rono but about her.

Falling into her father's arms, she finally let the bottled up tears flow. "Oh, Daddy!"

She was safe. And maybe, just maybe, she was finally ready to go home.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: The Hibiscus **

Leon watched from a distance as Five-O rounded up the criminals and father and daughter embraced on the seashore. Even though he had no idea what was being said, the words didn't really matter in the end. It was over. And whether Alia was ready or not, she was going to have to come to terms with her old life. She would no longer need a place to run and hide from it all. She no longer needed him.

So what should he do now?

Leon cared for Alia. He could no longer deny it. For the first time since his accident, he cared for someone other than himself and had put the needs of another person before his own. But if someone asked him to explain why he did what he had done today, he would have been at a loss for words. Because even though he cared for Alia, he didn't love her. It's hard to love someone whose heart still belongs to her dead husband.

Turning away from the reunion, Leon walked over to the closest bush and breathed in the scent of flowers. It was comforting and familiar, but also different. For unlike the roses in his garden, the hibiscus flowers didn't remind of his past and of the devastating wrong done to him. They didn't serve as a warning; they didn't have thorns that would hurt him if he wasn't careful.

Instead, the hibiscus was beautiful in its simplicity. It looked so fragile but he knew that it was a strong flower. For in spite of the winds, the heavy rains and the strong heat of the sun, it grew and flourished. The delicate Hawaiian flower embodied strength in weakness; that even those who had been broken could grow and flourish once again. Alia had taught him that, too. Alia had been broken, unsure and scared when she had stumbled into his life. But she hadn't backed down from her search for what she wanted and needed. And he knew that she wouldn't stop now.

Alia had come into his life and she hadn't hurt him. No thorns. Perhaps his problem was that because he had been so consumed by the pain caused by a single rose, that he had failed to see the goodness in the field of hibiscus that surrounded him.

As Leon carefully plucked a single flower from the bush, he came to an important realization. He cared for Alia, and while he didn't know if he loved her, he did know that he wanted the chance to find out.

"Leon."

Leon turned and saw Alia had come up behind him, her father a short distance away.

She smiled; she looked content, almost happy. Perhaps she had finally reached the place she had been running toward all along. "Thank you for coming."

Leon smiled back. "It was my pleasure."

"Why did you do it? The whole time I was at your place, you acted like you couldn't wait for me to leave. But every time I needed help, you came running."

Of course she would ask the one question he still didn't know how to answer. But the truth was that she, more than anyone else, deserved an answer to that question. So he offered her the flower in his hands and said the only thing he could. "Because I wanted to see you again, Mrs. Vidalgo."

Alia took it, looking thoughtful. After a few moments of silence passed, she said, "Kelly."

"What?"

"My name is Alia Kelly and I'd like to see more of you, too."

* * *

Chin was content as he looked over at his daughter. Alia was hunched over a book, tackling another pile of homework. She had a lot of catching up to do if she wanted to graduate on time and he was just glad to see that her motivation and drive had returned. She would make it. By the time the trial was over, he was confident that she would be able to rejoin her class.

Rising, Chin decided that it was time to do another security check. With Duke Lukela out running errands, he needed to carefully look over the house and grounds for signs that anyone was near or had been prowling around.

The secluded safe house on Molokai was rarely used because it was so out of the way that changing guards was difficult. But considering the efforts the Dragon had already employed to try to kill his daughter, Chin knew that this was the best option for keeping Alia alive. So he and Duke had put their lives on hold to hide out in the mountains until the trial. All to keep Alia safe. For now that he had his daughter back, he was not going to let anything else happen to her.

Yet, as Chin touched his most recent letter in his pocket, he knew that this choice had not come without sacrifice. He missed his wife and the rest of his children. He knew that Lin was not happy that they had whisked Alia away before she had had a chance to see her. Nor was she pleased that they were forbidden to contact each other beyond carefully written and delivered letters that could never contain the words they really needed to share.

But that was how things had to be. Five-O's investigation had led them to the hidden casino and when they had stormed the place, they managed to catch the Dragon in his lair. And Alia's testimony was essential to ensure that the Dragon would spend the rest of his life behind bars. But the wheels of justice took time and Alia couldn't return home until judgment was passed on the man who wanted her dead.

So father and daughter had decided to make the best of the time they now had together. Time to catch up on schoolwork. Time to think. Time to talk. Time to begin repairing all that had been broken. It was funny. Chin would have thought that being stuck inside a small house with just a teenager and Duke for company would have been a curse. But instead, it had been a blessing.

Chin would never forget the moment when Alia had sat down beside him and asked him for his help. She was nervous about the upcoming trial and wanted to know that he would be there for her. In that moment, the father was assured that his daughter still needed him, and still wanted him to be a part of her life. He couldn't say no to that.

And while the pain and hurt of the past month were still there - lingering in the background of every moment and conversation - it was fading with every day that passed.

Satisfied that everything was still secure, Chin walked back to the house.

Alia looked up when she heard the door open. "I made tea. Would you like some, Daddy?"

_Daddy_. Chin smiled; he couldn't help it. Every time he heard that word spoken with love from his daughter's lips it was a reminder that they could, in time, repair what was once broken.

Sitting down next to his daughter, he said, "I'd love some."


	16. Epilogue

_Thank you all for reading, reviewing and for taking a chance on a story that very different than anything thing else I've ever written. It was a fun challenge and adventure and I hope that you all have enjoyed the ride. Finally, I want to give major thanks one of the biggest Kelly family fans in the fandom and my wonderful beta, Honu59, for all her support and work she put into making this story a better one. _

* * *

**Epilogue: Finding Happiness**

Leonadjusted his tie as he looked into the mirror, barely recognizing the man looking back at him. The scars were still there, but they seemed less menacing and prominent these days. He was learning to accept them as part of who he was. During the time that Alia had been in protective custody, he had begun the long and hard process of putting his life back together.

It hadn't been easy picking up the phone and calling his old teammates, but reconnecting with them had become easier once he learned that he was not the only one struggling with how to have a life after football.

People on the street still stared but he tried to not let it bother him. What did surprise Leon was, when strangers learned his name, how the quickly they remembered the man he used to be. Suddenly, the scars provided a reason for his departure from the field as those he encountered would lament a career cut short and treat him like a person again.

And most importantly, Leon realized that his isolation had only made his struggles worse, so he sold his cottage, bought a condo in the city and started a new job as the head gardener at a resort in Waikiki. There were still roses to care for, but they no longer consumed his life.

He was finally ready to move on with his life and start living again.

One last look in the mirror confirmed that his tux looked perfect. Now it was time to go pick up the wonderful lady responsible for his transformation. A transformation that had taught him that there had been a man beneath the beast all along.

* * *

Alia ran her hands over the beautiful embroidered yellow fabric. It still didn't seem quite real, that after everything that had happened, she would be doing something as normal as going to her senior prom.

The trial had ended two weeks ago and she had returned home after what felt like a lifetime away. Now she was finally safe; those who had tried to have her killed would be spending years behind bars. Even Koa had been convicted of a lesser charge, unable to convince the jury of his innocence a second time around. Yet, the memories of those days in the courtroom were not happy ones. The trial had been hard, harder than she had imagined it would be. Thankfully, her father had been with her the whole time. Coaching her on what to do and offering his shoulder to cry on after the cross-exanimation had turned ugly, forcing her to admit aloud the depths to which she had fallen. And not once did he judge her or appear to think less of her because of the decisions she had made.

"Here, let me help," her mother said. Her gentle hands quickly eased her daughter into the qipao, a traditional Chinese dress. "You are so beautiful."

"Thanks, Mommy."

"Are you ready?"

Alia nodded and let her mother lead her downstairs to where her family was waiting. Her father was glowing with pride. Suzy was trying very hard to hide her jealousy while her younger siblings chattered excitedly about the upcoming dance.

While Alia waited for her date to arrive, she couldn't help but think back to the last momentous moment in her life. She had felt just as beautiful then, adorned in her lace wedding veil, before she had pledged herself to Rono, believing that their love would be strong enough to last a lifetime.

And even though their marriage was never legal in the eyes of the law - Father Jack never had a chance to submit the marriage license - she couldn't deny that Rono would always be part of her. She would never forget the love they shared or pretend that it hadn't existed. Which was why she chose to remember.

She remembered Rono's laugh and Rono's smile. She remembered the best moments, the moments when she was confident that his love and his feelings were real and true. Moments when they were just Rono and Alia, unburdened by any pressures of family and society as they traveled through the world above the clouds. For in spite of all the evil he had done, Rono had given her one very meaningful gift: he had given her the love of flight. And while going to school to learn to be a pilot was not the life her parents had imagined for their eldest daughter, they supported her all the same. They were proud that she had found a way to turn this tragedy into something positive.

"He's here!" Tilda called out with a squeal from the window. Alia's siblings had come to enjoy Leon's visits since her return.

Suddenly nervous, Alia ran her hands down the sides of her dress to smooth out any wrinkles. _Breath, you can do this._ Standing in the front doorway, she smiled as she watched Leon step out of his car.

She had been surprised when he had come to the trial and again when he had asked her out to lunch. And they had talked, just talked. It was freeing just to be with someone who understood what it is like to be broken and to run and hide from the world. To talk with someone who understood just how difficult it is to try to pick up the pieces of a previously shattered life. And in time, it became clear that both Leon and Alia had dramatically changed from the two strangers who had met one night in a garden. And while Alia did not yet know what Leon was to her, she did know that she cared for him and that she wanted the chance to find out more.

"You are beautiful," Leon said as he placed a corsage of hibiscus around her wrist; it matched the

boutonnière on his lapel.

Alia took his arm, looked up at him, and smiled. It was easy to lose herself in his eyes. "You look very handsome."

Leon smiled and it was with joy in her heart that she let him escort her to her senior prom.

Prom, however, was both wonderful and sorrowful. Sorrowful because the hole left by the death of her best friend was felt very clearly that night. Alia wept openly when a song was played in tribute to Pamela. Yet, the night was also wonderful as she was able to simply lose herself in the music and the dancing. Leon's arms were strong and gentle as he led her around the floor, oblivious to the whispers that followed in their wake. For Leon understoodAlia and she understood him and that was enough.

When the band began their last number, Alia allowed Leon to hold her tightly. She was content, happier than she had been since Rono's death. And regardless of what happened next, Alia would always be grateful for the one thing that Leon had shown her: she could and would find happiness once again.

PAU


End file.
